Real-Time Acetone Gas Monitoring Using Calixarene-Functionalized Guided-Mode Resonance-Based Sensors

Area of Science:

• Chemical Sensors
• Optical Sensing
• Materials Science

Background:

• Portable sensors for volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are crucial for applications like breath analysis and industrial safety.
• Acetone detection is vital for preventing hazardous workplace exposure, but existing sensors have limitations like high power consumption and complexity.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a handheld, low-power optical gas sensor for detecting acetone at room temperature.
• To functionalize a guided-mode resonance (GMR) sensor with a calixarene layer for enhanced acetone sensitivity.

Main Methods:

• Fabrication of a medium-quality (Q-factor) guided-mode resonance (GMR) sensor.
• Functionalization of the GMR sensor with a calixarene layer for acetone interaction.
• Testing the sensor's response to acetone vapor at room temperature and analyzing its performance.

Main Results:

• The optical gas sensor achieved a limit of detection (LOD) of 80 ppm for acetone vapor.
• The sensor response followed an extended Langmuir isotherm, suitable for workplace safety monitoring (>170 ppm danger threshold).
• Repeatable measurements with a standard deviation of 4.5% were demonstrated.

Conclusions:

• The developed GMR-based optical sensor provides a low-cost, high-performance solution for real-time acetone monitoring in industrial environments.
• The handheld and room-temperature operation makes it a practical alternative to existing sensor technologies for worker safety applications.