Gas sensor materials with combined photoluminescent, electrical, and mass-sensitive readout

The project extends previous collaboration resulted in development of chemical gas sensors with luminescent nanostructured sensitive layers based on lanthanide doped nanostructured oxides (SnO2, TiO2 and ZnO). The layers will be utilized toward development of multivariable single sensor employing measurement of photoluminescence combined simultaneously with either electrical conductivity or sorption processes by quartz crystal microbalance (QCM). Black metals deposited by PVD techniques will be utilized in QCM sensors. This approach will decrease the detection limit and enhance the selectivity of QCM sensor. Both DC and AC measurement regimes will be investigated. An algorithm for optical, electrical and QCM resonant frequency signals fusion will be developed. The multivariable sensing will allow improving on sensors selectivity, detection limit and reducing the drift leading to increase of their overall precision.