Key Points
- “A new study published in Nature Communications documents an inexpensive, spark-free, optical-based hydrogen sensor that is more sensitive—and faster—than previous models.”
- “‘With our intensity-based optical nano sensors, we go from detection of hydrogen at around 100 parts-per-million to 2 parts-per-million, at a cost of a few dollars for a sensing chip,’ Tho said. ‘Our response time of .8 seconds is 20% faster than the best available optical device reported in the literature right now.’”
- “The new optical device relies on the nanofabrication of a nanosphere template covered with a Palladium Cobalt alloy layer. Any hydrogen present is quickly absorbed, then detected by an LED. A silicon detector records the intensity of the light transmitted.”