nl7b04466_si_liveslides.zip (5.04 MB)
Ultrasensitive Ethene Detector Based on a Graphene–Copper(I) Hybrid Material
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posted on 2018-01-03, 19:48 authored by Wangyang Fu, Thomas F. van Dijkman, Lia M. C. Lima, Feng Jiang, Grégory F. Schneider, Elisabeth BouwmanEthene is a highly
diffusive and relatively unreactive gas that
induces aging responses in plants in concentrations as low as parts
per billion. Monitoring concentrations of ethene is critically important
for transport and storage of food crops, necessitating the development
of a new generation of ultrasensitive detectors. Here we show that
by functionalizing graphene with copper complexes biologically relevant
concentrations of ethene and of the spoilage marker ethanol can be
detected. Importantly, in addition these sensors provide us with important
insights into the interactions between molecules, a key concept in
chemistry. Chemically induced dipole fluctuations in molecules as
they undergo a chemical reaction are harvested in an elegant way through
subtle field effects in graphene. By exploiting changes in the dipole
moments of molecules that occur upon a chemical reaction we are able
to track the reaction and provide mechanistic insight that was, until
now, out of reach.