A micro-preconcentrator combined olfactory sensing system with a micromechanical cantilever sensor for detecting 2,4-dinitrotoluene gas vapor

Myung Sic Chae, Jinsik Kim, Yong Kyoung Yoo, Ji Yoon Kang, Jeong Hoon Lee, Kyo Seon Hwang

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

21 Scopus citations

Abstract

Preventing unexpected explosive attacks and tracing explosion-related molecules require the development of highly sensitive gas-vapor detection systems. For that purpose, a micromechanical cantilever-based olfactory sensing system including a sample preconcentrator was developed to detect 2,4-dinitrotoluene (2,4-DNT), which is a well-known by-product of the explosive molecule trinitrotoluene (TNT) and exists in concentrations on the order of parts per billion in the atmosphere at room temperature. A peptide receptor (His-Pro-Asn-Phe-Ser-Lys-Tyr-Ile-Leu-His-Gln-Arg) that has high binding affinity for 2,4-DNT was immobilized on the surface of the cantilever sensors to detect 2,4-DNT vapor for highly selective detection. A micro-preconcentrator (μPC) was developed using Tenax-TA adsorbent to produce higher concentrations of 2,4-DNT molecules. The preconcentration was achieved via adsorption and thermal desorption phenomena occurring between target molecules and the adsorbent. The μPC directly integrated with a cantilever sensor and enhanced the sensitivity of the cantilever sensor as a pretreatment tool for the target vapor. The response was rapidly saturated within 5 min and sustained for more than 10 min when the concentrated vapor was introduced. By calculating preconcentration factor values, we verified that the cantilever sensor provides up to an eightfold improvement in sensing performance.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)18167-18177
Number of pages11
JournalSensors
Volume15
Issue number8
DOIs
StatePublished - 24 Jul 2015

Keywords

  • Cantilever
  • DNT
  • Gas sensor
  • Micro-preconcentrator

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