The Method of Ion Mobility TOF Mass Spectrometry for Rapid Identification of Triphenylmethane Ball Point Pen Dyes

AbstractIn this work ion mobility time-of-flight mass spectrometry is preliminarily studied as a method for identification of the composition for triphenylmethane ball point pen dyes by their traces on paper. Components were identified as Basic violet 2, Methyl violet 6B, Methyl violet 2B, Crystal violet. All the compounds were shown to form excellent individual mass selective mobility peaks. Short time of analysis allow one to consider IMS/TOFMS as a perspective alternative for traditional methods of identification

Engineering Education Technique based on Professional Activity Imitation

AbstractA new technology for the training of engineers is offered, named as of Professional Activity Imitation Education Technique (PAIET). This technology is being tested at the National Research Nuclear University (NRNU MEPI) for many years. Its basis is establishment of training equivalent of professional activities of specialist after graduation. In order to ensure the rapid reproduction of skills and functions of engineering activities by students, they are included in the “habitat” and they participate in the implementation of real projects. In the process of scientific and devise work, as well as learning sessions, they gain experience and skills of real engineering activities

Transmission of a Drift Tube Ion Mobility Spectrometer, Connected with a Mass Spectrometer

AbstractIn this work it is experimentally showed that transmission of atmospheric drift tube ion mobility spectrometer (DT-IMS), connected with mass spectrometer (MS), depends on ion mobility of investigated compounds, because of depletion effect of Bradbury-Nielson ion gate (IG), which previously has been approved only by standalone DT-IMS. Theoretical estimation of depletion width of IG is in good agreement with experimental data. Also it is found, that ion lost due to its pulsing work of IG are few times smaller, than its duty cycle. It's explained by difference in influence of coulomb repulsion at 100% and 1% duty cycle – in first case it's significant versus second case, when coulomb repulsion become negligibly small, that reduces lost of ions on entrance of MS interface

UV-Light-Tunable p-/n-Type Chemiresistive Gas Sensors Based on Quasi-1D TiS3 Nanoribbons: Detection of Isopropanol at ppm Concentrations

The growing demand of society for gas sensors for energy-efficient environmental sensing stimulates studies of new electronic materials. Here, we investigated quasi-one-dimensional titanium trisulfide (TiS(3)) crystals for possible applications in chemiresistors and on-chip multisensor arrays. TiS(3) nanoribbons were placed as a mat over a multielectrode chip to form an array of chemiresistive gas sensors. These sensors were exposed to isopropanol as a model analyte, which was mixed with air at low concentrations of 1–100 ppm that are below the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) permissible exposure limit. The tests were performed at room temperature (RT), as well as with heating up to 110 °C, and under an ultraviolet (UV) radiation at λ = 345 nm. We found that the RT/UV conditions result in a n-type chemiresistive response to isopropanol, which seems to be governed by its redox reactions with chemisorbed oxygen species. In contrast, the RT conditions without a UV exposure produced a p-type response that is possibly caused by the enhancement of the electron transport scattering due to the analyte adsorption. By analyzing the vector signal from the entire on-chip multisensor array, we could distinguish isopropanol from benzene, both of which produced similar responses on individual sensors. We found that the heating up to 110 °C reduces both the sensitivity and selectivity of the sensor array

UV-Light-Tunable p-/n-Type Chemiresistive Gas Sensors Based on Quasi-1D TiS\u3csub\u3e3\u3c/sub\u3e Nanoribbons: Detection of Isopropanol at ppm Concentrations

The growing demand of society for gas sensors for energy-efficient environmental sensing stimulates studies of new electronic materials. Here, we investigated quasi-one-dimensional titanium trisulfide (TiS3) crystals for possible applications in chemiresistors and on-chip multisensor arrays. TiS3 nanoribbons were placed as a mat over a multielectrode chip to form an array of chemiresistive gas sensors. These sensors were exposed to isopropanol as a model analyte, which was mixed with air at low concentrations of 1–100 ppm that are below the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) permissible exposure limit. The tests were performed at room temperature (RT), as well as with heating up to 110 oC, and under an ultraviolet (UV) radiation at λ = 345 nm. We found that the RT/UV conditions result in a n-type chemiresistive response to isopropanol, which seems to be governed by its redox reactions with chemisorbed oxygen species. In contrast, the RT conditions without a UV exposure produced a p-type response that is possibly caused by the enhancement of the electron transport scattering due to the analyte adsorption. By analyzing the vector signal from the entire on-chip multisensor array, we could distinguish isopropanol from benzene, both of which produced similar responses on individual sensors. We found that the heating up to 110 oC reduces both the sensitivity and selectivity of the sensor array

The Development of Nuclear Frequency Standard with the Use of Ion Crystals Manipulation System

AbstractThe perspectives for the increase in the accuracy of optical frequency standards by means of the development of “nuclear clocks” – a novel frequency standard based on the nuclear transition to the long-living isomer nuclear state of thorium-229 with energy ∼7.6eV are discussed. Theoretical estimations give a possible accuracy Δν/ν ∼1×10-20, that allows wide scope of applications for a frequency standard, from satellite navigation systems to experimental verification of the principles of the general theory of relativity. The results are presented and the future prospects for research are discussed on the measurement of the isomeric transition in the nucleus of thorium-229 and creation on its basis the frequency standard of the new generation

Toward new gas-analytical multisensor chips based on titanium oxide nanotube array

Reliable environmental monitoring requires cost effective but highly sensitive and selective gas sensors. While the sensitivity of the sensors is improved by reducing the characteristic dimensions of the gas-sensing material, the selectivity is often approached by combining the sensors into multisensor arrays. The development of scalable methods to manufacture such arrays based on low-dimensional structures offers new perspectives for gas sensing applications. Here we examine an approach to produce multisensor array chips based on the TiO$_{x}$ nanotube layers segmented by multiple Pt strip electrodes. We study the sensitivity and selectivity of the developed chip at operating temperatures up to 400 °C towards organic vapors in the ppm range. The results indicate that the titania nanotubes are a promising material platform for novel cost-effective and powerful gas-analytical multisensor units

The UV Effect on the Chemiresistive Response of ZnO Nanostructures to Isopropanol and Benzene at PPM Concentrations in Mixture with Dry and Wet Air

Towards the development of low-power miniature gas detectors, there is a high interest in the research of light-activated metal oxide gas sensors capable to operate at room temperature (RT). Herein, we study ZnO nanostructures grown by the electrochemical deposition method over Si/SiO$_{2}$ substrates equipped by multiple Pt electrodes to serve as on-chip gas monitors and thoroughly estimate its chemiresistive performance upon exposing to two model VOCs, isopropanol and benzene, in a wide operating temperature range, from RT to 350 °C, and LED-powered UV illumination, 380 nm wavelength; the dry air and humid-enriched, 50 rel. %, air are employed as a background. We show that the UV activation allows one to get a distinctive chemiresistive signal of the ZnO sensor to isopropanol at RT regardless of the interfering presence of H$_{2}$O vapors. On the contrary, the benzene vapors do not react with UV-illuminated ZnO at RT under dry air while the humidity’s appearance gives an opportunity to detect this gas. Still, both VOCs are well detected by the ZnO sensor under heating at a 200–350 °C range independently on additional UV exciting. We employ quantum chemical calculations to explain the differences between these two VOCs’ interactions with ZnO surface by a remarkable distinction of the binding energies characterizing single molecules, which is −0.44 eV in the case of isopropanol and −3.67 eV in the case of benzene. The full covering of a ZnO supercell by H$_{2}$O molecules taken for the effect’s estimation shifts the binding energies to −0.50 eV and −0.72 eV, respectively. This theory insight supports the experimental observation that benzene could not react with ZnO surface at RT under employed LED UV without humidity’s presence, indifference to isopropanol

Laterally extended atomically precise graphene nanoribbons with improved electrical conductivity for efficient gas sensing

Narrow atomically precise graphene nanoribbons hold great promise for electronic and optoelectronic applications, but the previously demonstrated nanoribbon-based devices typically suffer from low currents and mobilities. In this study, we explored the idea of lateral extension of graphene nanoribbons for improving their electrical conductivity. We started with a conventional chevron graphene nanoribbon, and designed its laterally extended variant. We synthesized these new graphene nanoribbons in solution and found that the lateral extension results in decrease of their electronic bandgap and improvement in the electrical conductivity of nanoribbon-based thin films. These films were employed in gas sensors and an electronic nose system, which showed improved responsivities to low molecular weight alcohols compared to similar sensors based on benchmark graphitic materials, such as graphene and reduced graphene oxide, and a reliable analyte recognition. This study shows the methodology for designing new atomically precise graphene nanoribbons with improved properties, their bottom-up synthesis, characterization, processing and implementation in electronic devices