Detecting amine vapours with thermally carbonized porous silicon gas sensor

: Bjorkqvist M, Salonen J, Tuura J, Jalkanen T, Lehto VP

: 2009

: physica status solidi (c)

: PHYSICA STATUS SOLIDI C - CURRENT TOPICS IN SOLID STATE PHYSICS, VOL 6, NO 7

: PHYS STATUS SOLIDI C

: 6

: 7

: 1769

: 1772

: 4

: *****************

: 1610-1634

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/pssc.200881025

A capacitive type porous silicon based gas sensor for detecting amine vapours has been developed. The sensor is highly sensitive, e.g., to methylamine and trimethylamine vapours, and its electrical parameters recover totally after exposure to studied gases. Thermal carbonization of porous silicon under acetylene atmosphere was carried out to produce stable and attractive surface to amine vapours. The sensor response to studied amine vapours can be separated from its response to humidity changes since their electrical responses act reversely. In addition to the vapours of methylamine/water and trimethylamine/water solutions, the sensor was also used to detect different amines, which are generated during spoilage of raw shrimps and Baltic herring fillets at room temperature. Fourier Transform Infrared spectroscopy was used to detect the amine vapours and other volatile compounds simultaneously with sensor measurements. (C) 2009 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim