Hydrogen (H2) is widely regarded as a sustainable and efficient energy source due to its abundance, cleanliness, and recyclability. However, its flammable nature—combined with its colorless, odorless, and tasteless characteristics—makes it difficult to detect, which poses serious safety risks. Hydrogen has a wide explosive concentration range (4–75 vol%), high flame propagation velocity, and extremely low ignition energy, necessitating rapid and accurate detection to ensure its safe use. As the demand for H2 grows in energy, industrial, and transportation sectors, the need for advanced H2 gas sensors becomes critical.
Traditional hydrogen sensors, while effective, have limitations in sensitivity, selectivity, and response time. Low-dimensional nanomaterials, such as 2D materials and nanoparticles, offer new possibilities for enhancing the performance of H2 sensors by leveraging their high surface area, tunable properties, and rapid charge transfer dynamics.
Traditional materials used in H2 sensors, such as palladium (Pd)-based sensors, have shown promise due to Pd’s ability to selectively absorb H2 atoms. However, sensors based on low-dimensional nanomaterials outperform traditional ones in several key aspects, such as increased surface area and enhanced sensitivity and selectivity. Low-dimensional nanomaterials, such as graphene and transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs), provide an exceptionally high surface-to-volume ratio, enhancing sensitivity and enabling faster response times. Due to their small size, low-dimensional nanomaterials are more sensitive to slight environmental changes, which is crucial for early H2 detection. Their tunable surface chemistry allows for greater selectivity in complex environments.
Main tasks:
• Develop and synthesize low-dimensional nanomaterials for use in H2 gas sensors.
• Investigate the sensor’s performance, focusing on key parameters such as sensitivity, selectivity, response time, and stability.
• Explore nanostructuring techniques to enhance sensor performance, such as Pd nanoparticle embedding, nano-grating, and optical property manipulation.
• Compare the performance of nanomaterial-based H2 sensors with traditional sensors for real-time H2 detection.
Student background:
• A strong foundation in materials science, nanotechnology, or chemistry.
• Familiarity with sensor technology, gas sensing mechanisms, and nanofabrication techniques is desirable.
• Experience with experimental design, data analysis, and basic characterization tools (e.g., SEM, TEM, XRD) would be an advantage.
• Programming knowledge (e.g., MATLAB, Python) for data processing and simulation is beneficial.
Benefits to the student:
• Gain hands-on experience in cutting-edge sensor technology and nanomaterials research.
• Develop practical skills in the synthesis and characterization of low-dimensional nanomaterials.
• Contribute to advancements in hydrogen safety, energy applications, and environmental monitoring.
• Collaborate with leading researchers in the field, with opportunities to present findings in scientific conferences or publications.
Reference:
[1]. Behzadi Pour, Ghobad, et al. "Hydrogen sensors: palladium-based electrode." Journal of Materials Science: Materials in Electronics 30 (2019): 8145-8153.
[2]. Gottam, Sandeep Reddy, et al. "Highly sensitive hydrogen gas sensor based on a MoS2-Pt nanoparticle composite." Applied Surface Science 506 (2020): 144981.
[3]. Lee, Hyun‐Sook, et al. "Hydrogen gas sensors using palladium nanogaps on an elastomeric substrate." Advanced Materials 33.47 (2021): 2005929.
Hydrogen (H2) is widely regarded as a sustainable and efficient energy source due to its abundance, cleanliness, and recyclability. However, its flammable nature—combined with its colorless, odorless, and tasteless characteristics—makes it difficult to detect, which poses serious safety risks. Hydrogen has a wide explosive concentration range (4–75 vol%), high flame propagation velocity, and extremely low ignition energy, necessitating rapid and accurate detection to ensure its safe use. As the demand for H2 grows in energy, industrial, and transportation sectors, the need for advanced H2 gas sensors becomes critical.
Traditional hydrogen sensors, while effective, have limitations in sensitivity, selectivity, and response time. Low-dimensional nanomaterials, such as 2D materials and nanoparticles, offer new possibilities for enhancing the performance of H2 sensors by leveraging their high surface area, tunable properties, and rapid charge transfer dynamics.
Traditional materials used in H2 sensors, such as palladium (Pd)-based sensors, have shown promise due to Pd’s ability to selectively absorb H2 atoms. However, sensors based on low-dimensional nanomaterials outperform traditional ones in several key aspects, such as increased surface area and enhanced sensitivity and selectivity. Low-dimensional nanomaterials, such as graphene and transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs), provide an exceptionally high surface-to-volume ratio, enhancing sensitivity and enabling faster response times. Due to their small size, low-dimensional nanomaterials are more sensitive to slight environmental changes, which is crucial for early H2 detection. Their tunable surface chemistry allows for greater selectivity in complex environments.
Main tasks:
• Develop and synthesize low-dimensional nanomaterials for use in H2 gas sensors.
• Investigate the sensor’s performance, focusing on key parameters such as sensitivity, selectivity, response time, and stability.
• Explore nanostructuring techniques to enhance sensor performance, such as Pd nanoparticle embedding, nano-grating, and optical property manipulation.
• Compare the performance of nanomaterial-based H2 sensors with traditional sensors for real-time H2 detection.
Student background:
• A strong foundation in materials science, nanotechnology, or chemistry.
• Familiarity with sensor technology, gas sensing mechanisms, and nanofabrication techniques is desirable.
• Experience with experimental design, data analysis, and basic characterization tools (e.g., SEM, TEM, XRD) would be an advantage.
• Programming knowledge (e.g., MATLAB, Python) for data processing and simulation is beneficial.
Benefits to the student:
• Gain hands-on experience in cutting-edge sensor technology and nanomaterials research.
• Develop practical skills in the synthesis and characterization of low-dimensional nanomaterials.
• Contribute to advancements in hydrogen safety, energy applications, and environmental monitoring.
• Collaborate with leading researchers in the field, with opportunities to present findings in scientific conferences or publications.
Reference:
[1]. Behzadi Pour, Ghobad, et al. "Hydrogen sensors: palladium-based electrode." Journal of Materials Science: Materials in Electronics 30 (2019): 8145-8153.
[2]. Gottam, Sandeep Reddy, et al. "Highly sensitive hydrogen gas sensor based on a MoS2-Pt nanoparticle composite." Applied Surface Science 506 (2020): 144981.
[3]. Lee, Hyun‐Sook, et al. "Hydrogen gas sensors using palladium nanogaps on an elastomeric substrate." Advanced Materials 33.47 (2021): 2005929.