STTR Phase I: Novel Biomimetic Nanostructures for Air Monitoring in Smart Buildings

This Small Business Technology Transfer Research (STTR) Phase I project combines nanotechnology and biotechnology to develop a new type of biomimetic sensing structure for monitoring air quality in buildings as a part of a smart system to enhance security by preventing current and future vulnerabilities. The innovation in this work is the combination of new nanoscale fabrication technologies with a new theory on biological olfaction based on electron tunneling, which may make possible the development of a true electronic nose that has significant performance improvements as compared to existing technologies. The objective of this work is to determine the feasibility of using nano-fabrication techniques and structures to mimic biological olfaction so that toxic gases can be measured with significantly improved selectivity, stability, sensitivity, and response times. This research will enhance scientific and technological understanding, and if successful, will allow the development of an electronic nose with significantly improved capabilities over existing technology. This technology will provide significant benefit to society by improving homeland security and detection methods in other fields where odor analysis is important such as medical diagnosis, food and beverage characterization, and chemical and pharmaceutical industries.