Chemiluminescent detection of neutral gaseous radicals

This paper presents a systematic approach to the development of novel solid-state chemical sensors on the basis of heterogeneous chemiluminescence. The method is applicable for the identification and measurements of concentration of H, O, and other gaseous chemical radicals, where utilization of standard techniques is difficult. The luminescence is invoked during Eley-Rideal recombination of the radicals in question on the surface of the sensor core. A technique is discussed to separate the contributions of Eley-Rideal and Langmuir-Hinshelwood mechanisms, and to select appropriate materials for the sensor emitter fabrication. Typical sensor characteristics include sensitivity of 10(5) cm(-3), working gas pressures of 10(-8) - 10(1) Torr, and measurement time approximately 1 s.