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Nanocomposite thin films for high temperature optical gas sensing of hydrogen

  • US 8,411,275 B1
  • Filed: 04/10/2012
  • Issued: 04/02/2013
  • Est. Priority Date: 04/10/2012
  • Status: Active Grant
First Claim
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1. A method of monitoring hydrogen in a high temperature gas stream comprising:

  • generating the high temperature gas stream, where the high temperature gas stream has a temperature greater than about 500°

    C.;

    placing a hydrogen sensing material in the high temperature gas stream, where the hydrogen sensing material is comprised of,an inert matrix, where the inert matrix is stable at the gas stream temperature, and where the inert matrix is optically transparent over a light wavelength range, and where the inert matrix has a bandgap greater than or equal to 5 eV and has an oxygen ion conductivity of less than 10

    7
    S/cm at a temperature of 700°

    C.,a plurality of gold nanoparticles dispersed in the inert matrix, where an individual gold nanoparticle in the plurality of gold nanoparticles is comprised of elemental gold, and where the plurality of gold nanoparticles have an average nanoparticle diameter of less than about 100 nanometers;

    contacting the hydrogen sensing material with a monitored stream, where the monitored stream is at least a portion of the high temperature gas stream, and where the monitored stream has a temperature greater than about 500°

    C., and illuminating the hydrogen sensing material with a light source emitting incident light;

    collecting exiting light, where the exiting light is light that originates at the light source and is transmitted or reflected by the hydrogen sensing material, and monitoring a plasmon resonance peak position based on a comparison of the incident light and the exiting light using absorption spectroscopy; and

    detecting hydrogen based on a peak shift of the plasmon resonance peak position, thereby monitoring hydrogen in the high temperature gas stream.

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