ABQ Times

Researchers from Sandia National Laboratories have made progress in developing a low-power chemical sensor capable of detecting harmful substances like sarin and other industrial toxins. Sarin, known for its extreme toxicity and rapid lethality, has been used in terror attacks despite its production being illegal. Mieko Hirabayashi, a Sandia microelectronics engineer, leads the project with the goal of creating sensors that can function for long periods without needing battery replacements.

The new sensing technology employs a sponge-like material to trap gases, which combined with microelectronics, could alert individuals before exposure to hazardous chemicals. Hirabayashi explains, “When we’re thinking about ultra-low-power electronics, we want to install a sensor and leave it in the field for a long time.”

Philip Miller, another researcher at Sandia, explained the process: "The porosity of the material creates more spots for the chemical of interest to land on. The more molecules the sensor can measure, the faster the alert it can provide.” This sensor changes its electric properties upon contact with sarin, which is detected by an ultra-low-power system.

Additionally, the Sandia team is working with academics from the University of Virginia to design an integrated circuit for efficient signal detection. Jesse Moody, who led the circuit design, says, “We needed to develop a device that can detect very minute changes in that capacitive sensing film and convert that into useful digital information in an extremely low-power manner.”

The circuit was crafted to be 1,500 times smaller than a human hair to ensure quick and efficient operation. Testing revealed the sensor system’s potential in both heterogeneous and monolithic configurations. Hirabayashi notes the team is investigating further funding to continue refining the sensors for broader chemical detection capabilities, indicating a promising future for this innovative sensor technology.

Miller adds, “The novelty of integrating the low-power microcontroller and the sol-gel sensor was a really cool project to work on. I think we have a nice path forward to realize a functional device with additional support.”

Sandia National Laboratories aims to create tools offering timely warnings in environments such as public spaces, aiming to enhance both civilian and military responses to chemical threats.