Abstract
The proposed project focuses on the pioneering research of novel-class chemiresistive and QCM gas sensors with active layers based on composite oxidic aerogels. These aerogel-based sensors are intended for fast, sensitive, and on-site detection of biogenic amines – namely trimethylamine, putrescine, phenylethylamine, and histamine – compounds that are of concern in the context of food quality. To achieve this goal, three original strategies of oxidic aerogel modification are proposed: (a) manipulation with its Brønsted acidity, (b) manipulation with Lewis acidity, (c) introduction of ferroelectricity by varying the stoichiometry of oxides. The project will result in easy-to-prepare gas sensors for the detection of biogenic amines operating at laboratory temperatures with fast response dynamics (response time τ90 < 1 min) and a low detection limit (LOD < 100 ppb). The results obtained by the detection of amines in the laboratory will be compared with those achieved in real conditions, i.e., from monitoring the atmosphere nearby foodstuffs of animal origin during the decay process.