Room temperature carbon nanotube based sensor for carbon monoxide detection

Sulfonated single-walled carbon nanotubes have been used in an integrated electrode structure for the detection of carbon monoxide. The sensor responds to 0.5 ppm of CO in air at room temperature. All eight sensors with this material in a 32-sensor array showed good repeatability and reproducibility, with response and recovery times of about 10 s. Pristine nanotubes generally do not respond to carbon monoxide and the results here confirm sulfonated nanotubes to be a potential candidate for the construction of an electronic nose that requires at least a few materials for the selective detection of CO.