Novel Li-Operated Potentiometric Electrochemical Gas Sensors

This action aims to deliver innovative Lithium (Li)-operated gas sensor devices.

The low-power (i.e., low-temperature), low-cost, fast-response miniaturized gas sensor will monitor gas pollutants based on fast ion-conducting Li-based chemistries, originally developed for next-generation energy storage systems.

It remains surprising that despite their high conductivity and stability, Li-garnet Li7La3Zr2O12 (LLZO) solid electrolytes were mostly first integrated as large-scale ceramics in solid-state batteries, with their integration in sensors to replace classic oxygen conductors lagging behind.

The fast ion-conduction characteristics of Li-based materials unlock the possibilities of cost-effective, low-power, multi-sensing arrays with a fast response, new sensing-electrode chemistries and an expanded scope of gases.

The applicant will develop and implement a cheap and scalable ceramic processing concept of a fully Li-based sprayed sensing device operating at low temperature to assure a transition of research to society.

This project will contribute to the major driving force behind EU's mission, finding a low-carbon energy solution to minimize pollution effect on global health and the environment, by providing tools for toxic gas sensing which will a) consume less energy and b) enable distributed sensing.

Where sensing and power supply start to synergize, new opportunities for multifunctional devices based on similar chemistry (e.g., Li-garnet) to store energy or detect gasses, are emerging simply by the choice of electrodes and electrochemistry.

The synthesis, chemical requirements, processing, and electrochemical characteristics upon gas sensing, vital for future sensor-nose technology and hardware in mobile commercial applications, remain unclear and are south to be pioneered through this action.