Real-time detection of formaldehyde by a sensor

A hand-held formaldehyde (HCHO) gas detector has been developed. This fluorescence-based system uses a standard microscope glass slide both as a transducer and a sensor. The detection of gaseous formaldehyde is performed using the well-known Sawicki reaction with Fluoral-P, a reagent present in the nanoporous thin film which allows a selective reaction with formaldehyde. The nanoporous film of hybrid organic-inorganic polymer, prepared via the sol-gel method, is coated on the microscope slide by spin-coating, enabling reproducible coatings of various shapes and thicknesses. Experiments were carried out in the laboratory to calibrate the instrument, with the objective to perform measurements indoor and outdoor. The real-time monitoring allows to detect formaldehyde pollution peaks. (C) 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.