Micro and Nano Scale Sensors for Room Temperature Detection of Methane

• Author / Creator

  Rahimi, Mehrnaz

• Detection of methane at room temperature is a challenge due to its inert properties, such as being non polar and showing little tendency to lose or gain electrons at room temperature. Here, we have shown two methods for detection of methane at room temperature via employing micro and nano scale sensing platforms. Nanomechanical IR spectroscopy for methane detection without using any chemoselective interface via measuring the photothermal effect of
  adsorbed methane on a thermally sensitive cantilever have been used to obtain molecular signature of femto gram quantities of adsorbed methane on the cantilever surface and absorbed mass of methane and
  residence time have been calculated using the kinetic theory of gases.
  In the second method a microfabricated interdigitated electrode coated
  with palladium-single walled carbon nanotubes composites (Pd-SWCNTs) have been used as room temperature methane sensor. Also, fabrications of Pd nanoparticles and incorporation into SWCNTs have been demonstrated.

• Subjects / Keywords

  • Photothermal cantilever deflection spectrosciopy
  • Room temperature methane detection
  • Gas sensing
  • Pd-SWCNT

• Graduation date

  Fall 2014

• Type of Item

  Thesis

• Degree

  Master of Science

• DOI

  https://doi.org/10.7939/R3SB3X53F

• License

  This thesis is made available by the University of Alberta Libraries with permission of the copyright owner solely for non-commercial purposes. This thesis, or any portion thereof, may not otherwise be copied or reproduced without the written consent of the copyright owner, except to the extent permitted by Canadian copyright law.