Abstract
A comparative study on the sensing properties of a tapered optical fiber pristine and functionalized with the palladium nanoparticles to hydrogen and volatile organic compounds (VOCs), is presented. The sensor response and, response/recovery times were extracted from the measurements of the transient response of the device. The tapered optical fiber sensor was fabricated using a single-mode optical fiber by the flame-brushing technique. Functionalization of the optical fiber was performed using an aqueous solution of palladium chloride by drop-casting technique assisted for laser radiation. The detection principle of the sensor is based on the changes in the optical properties of palladium nanoparticles when exposed to reducing gases, which causes a variation in the absorption of evanescent waves. A continuous wave laser diode operating at 1550 nm is used for the sensor characterization. The sensor functionalized with palladium nanoparticles by this technique is viable for the sensing of hydrogen and VOCs, since it shows an enhancement in sensor response and response time compared to the sensor based on the pristine optical microfiber. The results show that the fabricated sensor is competitive with other fiber optic sensors functionalized with palladium nanoparticles to the hydrogen.
Highlights
Many human activities of daily living, such as traveling in cars or using insecticides, result in the emission of toxic gases and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) into the atmosphere [1]
The design and fabrication of an Pd nanoparticles (Pd NPs)-coated tapered optical fiber sensor based for the detection of H2 and VOCs were presented
The sensor structure consisted of a tapered optical fiber (TOF) obtained by the flame-brushing technique and it was functionalized with Pd NPs by the laser radiation and drop-casting techniques
Summary
Many human activities of daily living, such as traveling in cars or using insecticides, result in the emission of toxic gases and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) into the atmosphere [1]. It has well been documented that the combustion of fossil fuels for several decades has promoted the increase in the emission of greenhouse gases. Sensors 2017, 17, 2039 considering the type of analyte, concentrations, as well as some physicochemical properties that it can be considered an imminent risk to human health [3,4]. It is well known that the exposition to the VOCs at higher concentrations and for long periods is intimately associated with the development of lethal diseases such as cancer [5,6].
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