INTRODUCTION:

 

Project Main Goals

NANOPHOS addresses the development of innovative nanostructured and nanocomposite photonic media and respective devices exhibiting advanced gas sensing functionality. The project aims first to the investigation of new linear and nonlinear light-matter interaction effects in materials exposed to the chemical environment and second to the implementation of advanced optical sensor-interrogation concepts. The new photonic sensor devices and systems will enable detection of a range of gaseous agents, such as O x, NO x, CO, SO x, NO x, CH, VOC or other pollutants, with high sensitivity, selectivity, reliability and improved flexibility at low-cost.

 

Key Issues

The multiplicity of available gas-sensor technologies has resulted in a multitude of, usually not well defined defined, operational standards that fail to consistently cover long-standing industrial and environmental needs.

NANOPHOS aims beyond the established gas sensor concepts, to the five-to-ten year application horizon. Its effort is divided among several interdisciplinary tasks covering materials development, production of optimised photonic interfaces, methods and optoelectronic integration. It aims to annihilate existing technological constraints via a class of new instruments of well-defined, repeatable, performance and specifications, thus drawing an alternative route to new advanced standards for gas detection and analysis.

 

Technical Approach

The project designs, produces and explores synthetic nanostructured media that can “react” in the chemical environment. By selecting classes of important chemical agents, it exploits the reversibly modified linear and nonlinear optical responses due to the chemical environment and develops innovative interrogation schemes. It further integrates and tests sensor-head devices and systems, aiming to advanced room temperature performance, remote optical interrogation, reliability and low cost.

 

The well-balanced scientific and technical approach aims to:

  • Design of functional materials by analysing basic physical phenomena
  • Photonic nanocomposites by physical and chemical materials growth, nanoparticle production and encapsulation.
  • Molecular Receptors-Media and Interfaces enabling selective agent adsorption and sensitisation.
  • Optical interrogation methods in free-space or waveguiding formats allowing detection of dielectric refractive index changes (10 -7)

 

Following a decision making process, suitable candidates will be selected for

  • Optoelectronic Sensor Device integration, emphasising on optimal sensor heads
  • System Integration and Environmental testing, of pre-industrial prototypes

NANOPHOS comprises appropriate management, technology evaluation and exploitation / dissemination actions.

 

Expected Achievements and Impact

The achievements of this interdisciplinary effort concern a new class of purely optical chemical sensor devices of advanced characteristics. Those will be provided by research in (a) novel materials and synthesis methodologies, (b) functional sensor structures and innovative interrogation methods and (c) integration of prototype sensor devices and systems, which will impact significantly in the photonic materials area beyond the prime field of interest.

 

Linking Nanotechnologies and the Information Society, this project impacts on relevant technological standards world-wide and contributes to the strategic interests of the EU.