STTR Phase I: Graphene Based NOx Detector

This award is funded under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Public Law 111-5). This Small Business Technology Transfer Phase I project will develop a low-cost, high sensitivity detector for nitrogen oxides (NOx) based on graphene. Gas detectors, such as the presently proposed NOx sensor, will be the first commercial application for graphene based devices. Graphene films can potentially detect down to a single molecule of an adsorbed gas. The availability of an effective, inexpensive NOx sensor would enable closed-loop control of engine conditions in auto and truck applications, allowing the manufacturers to simultaneously optimize vehicle fuel economy, exhaust emissions and performance. These NOx sensors will also enable emissions monitoring for a range of other industrial and power generation applications.