Analyte multi-sensor for the detection and identification of analyte and a method of using the same

• US 8,443,647 B1
• Filed: 10/09/2009
• Issued: 05/21/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 10/09/2008
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Southern Illinois University (Board of Trustees of Southern Illinois University)
• Original Assignee: Southern Illinois University (Board of Trustees of Southern Illinois University)
• Inventors: Kolmakov, Andrei, Sysoev, Victor V.
• Primary Examiner(s): NOLAND, THOMAS
• Application Number:
  US12/576,940
• Time in Patent Office: 1,320 Days
• Field of Search: 73/10.2, 73/10.6, 73/191, 73 3105- 3106, 73/530.1, 73/614.1, 73/616.1, 324/601, 324/691, 324/693, 324/703, 977/767, 977810-811, 977/832, 977/953, 977/957
• US Class Current: 73/1.02
• CPC Class Codes: B82Y 15/00 Nanotechnology for interacting, sensing or actuating, e.g. quantum dots as markers in protein assays or molecular motors
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 27/127 comprising nanoparticles
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 33/0034 comprising neural networks or related mathematical techniques

Abstract

A multi-sensor as disclosed herein can include a substrate and at least three sensing elements disposed on the substrate. Each sensing element includes two electrodes separated by a distance and a nanowire mat adjacent to and in contact with the electrodes. The nanowire mats include nanowires which define a percolation network. The density of the nanowires in the nanowire mat of one sensing element is different than the density of the nanowires in the nanowire mat of either of the other at least two sensing elements.

Claims

1. A multi-sensor for the detection and identification of an analyte and/or an irradiation, the multi-sensor comprising

a substrate;

and

at least three sensing elements disposed on the substrate, each sensing element comprising

two electrodes separated by a distance, and

a nanowire mat disposed adjacent to and in contact with the electrodes, the nanowire mat comprising a plurality of nanowires defining a percolation network,

wherein at least three such sensing elements are characterized by the density of the nanowires in the nanowire mat of each sensing element being different from each other.

2. The multi-sensor of claim 1, wherein the nanowires are selected from the group consisting of SnO₂ nanowires, WO₃ nanowires, In₂O₃ nanowires, TiO₂ nanowires, ZnO nanowires, NiO nanowires, CuO nanowires, V₂O₅ nanowires, Ga₂O₃ nanowires, and combinations thereof.

3. The multi-sensor of claim 1, wherein a surface of the nanowires is functionalized with a material selected from the group consisting of noble metals and oxides.

4. The multi-sensor of claim 1, comprising at least thirty-eight sensing elements.

5. The multi-sensor of claim 1, wherein the nanowires have a diameter in a range of about 20 nm to 500 nm.

6. The multi-sensor of claim 1, wherein the nanowires have a length in a range of about 1 μ

m to about 1000 μ

m.

7. The multi-sensor of claim 1, wherein the substrate is selected from the group consisting of a SiO₂/Si substrate, an Al₂O₃ substrate, a Si₃N₂ substrate, a Kapton film, a glass substrate, a sapphire substrate, a quartz substrate, and combinations thereof.

8. The multi-sensor of claim 1, wherein the electrode is formed of a material selected from the group consisting of platinum, gold, Cr, Ni, Ti, ITO, and combinations thereof.

9. The multi-sensor of claim 1, wherein the variation of the densities of the nanowires in the nanowire mats forms a density gradient across the multi-sensor.

10. The multi-sensor of claim 1, wherein the variation of the densities of the nanowires in the nanowire mats is random across the multi-sensor.

11. The multi-sensor of claim 1, wherein the distance between the electrodes of each sensing element is substantially equal for each sensing element.

12. The multi-sensor of claim 1, wherein the distance between electrodes of each sensing element is in a range of about 1 μ

m to about 200 μ

m.

13. The multi-sensor of claim 1, further comprising one or more heaters disposed on the substrate, wherein the heaters are capable of creating a temperature gradient across the multi-sensor.

14. A method of calibrating the multi-sensor of claim 1 for the detection and identification of an analyte and/or an irradiation, comprising:

exposing the multi-sensor of claim 1 to a known analyte and/or a known irradiation;

detecting a change in resistance produced by each sensing element in response to the known analyte and/or known irradiation; and

creating a response profile from the changes in resistance produced by the at least three sensing elements.

15. A method of detecting and identifying a target in a sample, the method comprising:

exposing the multi-sensor of claim 1 to a sample comprising or suspected of comprising a target; and

detecting changes in resistance produced by each sensing element in response to exposure to the sample;

creating a response profile from the changes in resistance produced by the at least three sensing elements; and

identifying the target by correlating at least a portion of the response profile to a known response profile.

16. The method of claim 15 further comprising creating the response profile using a pattern recognition method selected from the group consisting of principal component analysis, regression analysis, cluster analysis, linear-discriminant analysis, and combinations thereof.

17. The method of claim 15, further comprising applying a temperature gradient across the multi-sensor before exposing the sensor to the sample.

18. The method of claim 15, wherein the target is a gas.

19. The method of claim 15, wherein the target is a mixture of gases.

20. The method of claim 15, wherein the target is an irradiation.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein the irradiation is selected from the group consisting of UV radiation, thermal radiation, charged particle, radioactivity, and combinations thereof.

22. The method of claim 15, wherein the target is Ar ions.