Hybrid Materials for Low Cost Volatile Organic Compound Sensor System - VOCSENSOR

Project summary

We are proposing to develop low cost, high sensitivity, mobile volatile organic compound (VOC) sensor system that can be easily installed and used in home, laboratory, factory to provide better living environment and protect human from VOC exposure and explosion. Volatile organic compound means any organic compound having an initial boiling point less than or equal to 250°C measured at a standard pressure of 101,3 kPa (Directive 2008/50/EC). The system can detect and monitor any excess harmful VOC in the environment and send out warning signals to alert people through visible and/or audible alarm; smart cell phone or computer message (Directive 2004/42/EC). The proposed mobile VOC sensor system using inexpensive components of LED light sources, sensing chip, light to electricity detector (analog to digital), signal acquisition that can be interfaced with smart cell phone or computer to send out warning signal or display the level of VOC. The innovation and core technology of this system is the sensing chip that is made from the thin film of novel hybrid material of conducting polymers and nanoparticles. The morphology of the hybrid film is changed upon the exposure to the vapor of volatile organic compounds that in turn changes the absorption behavior of the hybrid. The change in the absorption provides different current signal that is transferred into the warning signal. The warning signal can be either in visual or audio to alert people for prompt remediation action. The proof-of-concept of this novel technology has been demonstrated by Prof. Wei-Fang Su’s group of National Taiwan University. The results indicate that various VOCs can be detected within few minutes of time, confirming the regulations and directives at the occupational health safety administration of European Agency for Safety and Health at Work (EU-OSHA). The proposed program will base on this initial result and aims the further development with increased sensitivity of ppm range, less than minutes response time by using new hybrid materials and adding automated data acquisition system for reliable VOC sensor readouts. This Project comprises research, technology and product development of VOC sensor system and encourages unique European-Taiwan co-operation in new areas of mutual benefit. The program will be led by National Taiwan University and in-depth collaboration with well established researchers from Nanordic Oy of Finland (SME), University of Szeged of Hungary and Ingenieros Asesores of Spain (SME). A number of stimulation actions of trans-national cooperation will be taken place and expedited research results to achieve the goal. The consortium will provide a significant technological knowledge base; the facility and infrastructure sharing and will offer additional opportunities for the development. This project will bridge the current gap existing between pure sensor development academia and end users companies of manufacturing and final environmental monitoring. The duration of the program will be 36 months with total funding budget of 578,125EUR requested.