Plasma-Assisted Cataluminescence Sensor Array for Gaseous Hydrocarbons Discrimination

Abstract

Combining plasma activation and cross-reactivity of sensor array, we have developed a plasma-assisted cataluminescence (PA-CTL) sensor array for fast sensing and discrimination of gaseous hydrocarbons, which can be potentially used for fast diagnosis of lung cancer. Based on dielectric barrier discharge, a low-temperature plasma is generated to activate gaseous hydrocarbons with low cataluminescence (CTL) activities. Extremely increased CTL responses have been obtained, which resulted in a plasma assistance factor of infinity (∞) for some hydrocarbons. On a 4 × 3 PA-CTL sensor array made from alkaline-earth nanomaterials, gaseous hydrocarbons showed robust and unique CTL responses to generate characteristic patterns for fast discrimination. Because of the difference in the component of hydrocarbons in breath, exhaled breath samples from donors with and without lung cancer were tested, and good discrimination has been achieved by this technique. In addition, the feasibility of multidimentional detection based on temperature was confirmed. It had good reproducibility and gave a linear range of 65-6500 ng/mL or 77-7700 ppmv (R > 0.98) for CH(4) with a detection limit of 33 ng/mL (38 ppmv) on MgO. The PA-CTL sensor array is simple, low-cost, thermally stable, nontoxic, and has an abundance of alkaline-earth nanomaterials to act as sensing elements. This has expanded the applications of CTL-based senor arrays and will show great potential in clinical fast diagnosis.

Advances in nanomaterial-assisted cataluminescence and its sensing applications

“…The different activation energy needed for the oxidation of each compound on the surface of catalyst was used to account for this difference in PA factor by Almasian et al Similarly, by combining DBD plasma activation with the cross-reactivity of sensor array, dramatically increased CTL signals can also be obtained, and resulted in a PA factor of infinity (∞) for some hydrocarbons. The feasibility and the practicability of the DBD-CTL system was therefore well demonstrated by Na et al [121] in discriminating gaseous hydrocarbons.…”

“…Further, the practicability of the CTL-based sensor array to discriminate VOCs was further demonstrated by Na et al [121]. On a simple 4×3 PA-CTL-sensor array made from alkaline-earth nanomaterials, gaseous hydrocarbons showed robust, unique CTL responses to generate characteristic patterns.…”

A Sensor System for Identifying Ether Vapors Based on Extracting Two-stage Cataluminescence Signals

“…张新荣等 [15] 基于分析物在不 同的纳米材料阵列表面的发光强度不同, 综合各个发光 强度组成指纹图谱来对分析物进行区分: 设计了识别三 甲胺、硫化氢和乙醇的 CTL 传感器阵列; 另外, 他们将 发光强度指纹图谱结合线性鉴别分析模型, 设计了可以 区分香烟中芳香气体的 CTL 传感器阵列, 成功识别 6 种 不同品牌的香烟 [16] . 那娜等 [17] 通过对烃类物质进行等 离子体激活, 以增强烃类物质的 CTL 响应信号, 利用 3 行 4 列组成的 CTL 传感器阵列快速识别烃类物质, 成功 区分了癌症病人和健康人群的呼出气体. 虽然传感器阵 列在环境监测、生命科学临床诊断、危险爆炸物检测等 领域具有很大的应用潜力, 但是它们都是由多个传感单 元组成, 一旦其中一个传感元件发生漂移就需要重新校 准, 其工作繁琐且不利于仪器的稳定 [18] .…”

Excited Oxidized-Carbon Nanodots Induced by Ozone from Low-Temperature Plasma to Initiate Strong Chemiluminescence for Fast Discrimination of Metal Ions

“…More interestingly, this kind of emission showed the cross-reactive properties with the distinct 2 luminescent efficiencies, which have been used for the fabrication of sensor array for the fast discriminations. [17][18][19] Additionally, fast detection and discrimination of metal ions in our surroundings is significant due to their important roles in industry, life science and food chemistry, 20 and therefore many methods have been used for the detection of metal ions. [21][22][23] However the previously reported CL-based techniques normally required the addition of strong oxidants and liquid CL reagents into the system.…”

“…Insets are high resolution TEM image of an individual particle (left) and the DLS result of C-dots (right); (B) FL emission spectra of C-dots at various excitation wavelengths from 350 to 510 nm in 20 nm increments of Cdots.CL signals of LTP-treated C-dots.Based on the function of LTP for activation,18 we introduced LTP into C-dots solutions…”