Journal Article Epublish
PubMed: 40648385 DOI: 10.3390/s25134130
Polymer-Based Chemicapacitive Hybrid Sensor Array for Improved Selectivity in e-Nose Systems.
Sensors (Basel) 25(13)
Authors: Pavithra Munirathinam, Mohd Farhan Arshi, Haleh Nazemi, Gian Carlo Antony Raj, Arezoo Emadi
Affiliations
- E-Minds Laboratory, Electrical and Computer Engineering Department, University of Windsor, Windsor, ON N9B 3P4, Canada.
Abstract
Detecting volatile organic compounds (VOCs) is essential for health, environmental protection, and industrial safety. VOCs contribute to air pollution, pose health risks, and can indicate leaks or contamination in industries. Applications include air quality monitoring, disease diagnosis, and food safety. This paper focuses on polymer-based hybrid sensor arrays (HSAs) utilizing interdigitated electrode (IDE) geometries for VOC detection. Achieving high selectivity and sensitivity in gas sensing remains a challenge, particularly in complex environments. To address this, we propose HSAs as an innovative solution to enhance sensor performance. IDE-based sensors are designed and fabricated using the Polysilicon Multi-User MEMS process (PolyMUMPs). Experimental evaluations are performed by exposing sensors to VOCs under controlled conditions. Traditional multi-sensor arrays (MSAs) achieve 82% prediction accuracy, while virtual sensor arrays (VSAs) leveraging frequency dependence improve performance: PMMA-VSA and PVP-VSA predict compounds with 100% and 98% accuracy, respectively. The proposed HSA, integrating these VSAs, consistently achieves 100% accuracy in compound identification and concentration estimation, surpassing MSA and VSA performance. These findings demonstrate that proposed polymer-based HSAs and VSAs, particularly with advanced IDE geometries, significantly enhance selectivity and sensitivity, advancing e-Nose technology for more accurate and reliable VOC detection across diverse applications.
MeSH
Safety, Polymers, Air Pollution, Volatile Organic Compounds, Electronic Nose, Air, Nose