Sniffi

There are many ways to detect a gas: electrochemical cells, infrared absorption, catalytic beads, photoionisation. Each has its place. The most common is the metal-oxide sensor, because it is cheap, small, rugged, and consumes nothing in order to work.

It is also unselective. A great many gases move the reading, and the reading looks the same whichever one caused it.

What we are doing about it

Historically, improving a sensor has meant trying formulations until something works: which oxide, which metal is added to it, how much of it, how hot it is fired and for how long. Most of those choices are inherited rather than reasoned.

We work the problem from the other end, computing the surface chemistry itself so that the choice of oxide, dopant and firing follows from the physics rather than from precedent. The aim is a sensor designed for its target.

The work is aimed at arrays built for one detection problem at a time.