Metal-Organic Framework Field-Effect Transistor Arrays for Chemical Sensing

Detecting volatile organic compounds (VOCs) at low concentrations is an important but challenging task with a range of applications, including checking food freshness, monitoring indoor air quality, and diagnosing lung conditions through breath analysis. In all of these areas, high-performance yet compact VOC sensors are needed.

While compact VOC sensors exist, they suffer from limited lifetimes and low selectivities, and often produce questionable data.

Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) with pores of molecular dimensions are excellent materials to adsorb VOC analytes from air, even at very low concentrations. The MOFFET project targets the integration of MOFs with transistor technology to realize a novel type of VOC sensor.

In addition, the modular nature of MOFs and microfabrication will be combined to realize an ‘electronic nose’ demonstrator for the selective detection in mixtures of VOCs.

If successful, the project will contribute to novel, non-invasive medical diagnostics, checking food freshness, and monitoring air quality.