Graphitic carbon nitride sensors

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10801982-B2
Application number	US-201816023630-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 29, 2018
Priority date	Jun 29, 2017
Publication date	Oct 13, 2020
Grant date	Oct 13, 2020

Abstract

A sensor includes a substrate, a first electrode, a second electrode spaced from the first electrode, and a sensing medium on the substrate between the first electrode and the second electrode. The sensor medium includes a functionalized graphitic material and an uncondensed graphitic carbon nitride disposed upon the functionalized graphitic material. The sensor further includes a system for applying electromagnetic energy to the sensing medium to increase the conductance of the sensing medium, and circuitry including at least one measurement system in operative connection with the sensor to measure a variable relatable to the conductance of the sensing medium which is dependent upon the presence of an analyte to be detected.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A sensor, comprising:
a substrate,
a first electrode,
a second electrode spaced from the first electrode,
a sensing medium on the substrate between the first electrode and the second electrode, the sensing medium comprising a functionalized graphitic material and an uncondensed graphitic carbon nitride disposed upon the functionalized graphitic material,
a system for applying electromagnetic energy to the sensing medium to increase the conductance of the sensing medium, and
circuitry comprising at least one measurement system in operative connection with the sensor to measure a variable relatable to the conductance of the sensing medium which is dependent upon the presence of an analyte to be detected.

2. The sensor of claim 1 wherein the functionalized graphitic material comprises oxygen functional groups.

3. The sensor of claim 1 wherein the functionalized graphitic material is reduced graphene oxide or holey reduced graphene oxide.

4. The sensor of claim 1 wherein the functionalized graphitic material is holey reduced graphene oxide.

5. The sensor of claim 1 wherein the functionalized graphitic material is holey reduced graphene oxide and the hole size of the holey reduced graphene oxide is within a predetermined range to provide a band gap within a predetermined range to determine an identity of the analyte.

6. The sensor of claim 1 wherein the analyte is oxygen.

7. The sensor of claim 6 wherein the system for applying electromagnetic energy is configured to apply UV light energy, visible light energy or electrical energy.

8. The sensor of claim 1 further comprising a humidity sensor.

9. The sensor of claim 1 further comprising a material deposited upon the functionalized graphitic material to alter the work function of the sensing medium.

10. The sensor of claim 9 wherein the material deposited upon the functionalized graphitic material comprises metal nanoparticles or an inorganic semiconductor nanoparticles.

11. The sensor of claim 10 wherein the metal nanoparticles comprise copper and the analyte is carbon dioxide.

12. A method of sensing an analyte, comprising:
providing a sensor system comprising a substrate, a first electrode, a second electrode spaced from the first electrode, and a sensing medium on the substrate between the first electrode and the second electrode, the sensing medium comprising a functionalized graphitic material and an uncondensed graphitic carbon nitride disposed upon the functionalized graphitic material,
applying electromagnetic energy to the sensing medium to increase the conductance of the sensing medium, and
measuring a variable relatable to the conductance of the sensing medium which is dependent upon the presence of the analyte to be detected.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein the functionalized graphitic material comprises oxygen functional groups.

14. The method of claim 12 wherein the functionalized graphitic material is reduced graphene oxide or holey reduced graphene oxide.

15. The method of claim 12 wherein the functionalized graphitic material is holey reduced graphene oxide.

16. The method of claim 12 wherein the functionalized graphitic material is holey reduced graphene oxide and the hole size of the holey reduced graphene oxide is within a predetermined range to provide a band gap within a predetermined range to determine an identity of the analyte.

17. The method of claim 12 wherein the analyte is oxygen.

18. The method of claim 12 wherein applying electromagnetic energy comprises applying UV light energy, visible light energy or electrical energy.

19. The method of claim 12 further comprising measuring humidity in the environment surrounding the sensing medium.

20. The method of claim 12 further comprising providing water to increase the humidity in the environment surrounding the sensing medium.

21. The method of claim 19 further comprising providing water to increase the humidity in the environment surrounding the sensing medium.

22. The method of claim 12 wherein a material is deposited upon the functionalized graphitic material to alter the work function of the sensing medium.

23. The method of claim 22 wherein the material deposited upon the functionalized graphitic material comprises metal nanoparticles or inorganic semiconductor nanoparticles.

24. The method of claim 23 wherein the metal nanoparticles comprise copper and the analyte is carbon dioxide.

Assignees

• Univ Of Pittsburgh—Of The Commonwealth System Of Higher Education

Inventors

• Ellis James Edward
• Star Alexander

Classifications

• H10F77/127

  comprising only Group IV-VI or only Group II-IV-VI chalcogenide materials, e.g. PbSnTe · CPC title

• H10F30/2823

  the devices being conductor-insulator-semiconductor devices, e.g. diodes or charge-coupled devices [CCD] (Insulated-gate field-effect transistors H10F30/282) · CPC title

• G01N33/0036 Primary

  specially adapted to detect a particular component (physical analysis of gaseous biological material G01N33/497) · CPC title

• G01N27/125 Primary

  Composition of the body, e.g. the composition of its sensitive layer · CPC title

• G01N33/004

  CO or CO2 · CPC title