The Korea Research Institute of Standards and Science (KRISS), led by President Lee Ho Seong, has unveiled a groundbreaking gas sensor technology that leverages low-cost LED light to accurately identify multiple hazardous gases. This innovation marks a significant advancement over traditional sensors that require high temperatures, offering a more energy-efficient and versatile solution. The technology is poised to enhance gas safety across both industrial and everyday environments.
Traditional gas sensors in industrial settings operate at temperatures ranging from 200–400°C to boost reactivity with gas molecules. Such sensors rely on micro-heaters to maintain these temperatures, resulting in high power consumption and accelerated material degradation, which shortens their lifespan. The new LED-based technology addresses these issues by eliminating the need for high-temperature operation.
Innovative Approach to Gas Detection
In an effort to overcome the limitations of conventional sensors, researchers have explored the use of ultraviolet (UV) or visible-light LED panels. Although UV-based sensors offer strong reactivity, they pose potential risks such as skin damage. Visible-light LED sensors, while safer, have struggled with weaker gas reactivity, limiting their effectiveness to gases like nitrogen dioxide.
Dr. Kwon Ki Chang, a Principal Research Scientist at KRISS, and Nam Gi Baek, a Ph.D. student at Seoul National University, have developed a novel nanostructure that significantly enhances the performance of visible-light LED-based sensors. By thinly coating indium sulfide (In2S3) onto indium oxide (In2O3), they have created a Type-I heterojunction configuration that acts as an “energy well,” concentrating photo-generated charge carriers at the reactive surface.
Enhanced Sensor Performance
The innovative structure maximizes light energy utilization, enabling immediate interaction with gas molecules using only blue LED illumination. This eliminates the need for an external heat source, making the sensors more efficient and safer for widespread use.
The research team implemented an electronic nose (E-nose) system by arranging sensors coated with platinum, palladium, and gold nanoparticles on the heterojunction structure. Each metal catalyst is engineered to selectively respond to specific gases, allowing the system to distinguish hazardous gases such as hydrogen, ammonia, and ethanol even in mixed environments, akin to the human sense of smell.
The sensor achieved a limit of detection (LOD) of 201.03 parts per trillion (ppt), a 56-fold improvement in sensitivity over conventional LED-based sensors.
Implications for Industry and Everyday Use
This new technology allows a single sensor to identify multiple gases while consuming minimal power, making it economically viable for both industrial and household applications. By detecting various hazardous gases simultaneously, it can significantly reduce sensor deployment costs in factories and power plants. Its low maintenance costs make it suitable for real-time air quality monitoring in residential and public spaces.
Operating at room temperature without the need for high-temperature heating, the sensor is ideal for integration into wearable devices such as smartphones and smartwatches. Upon commercialization, the technology could enable user-centered safety services, allowing individuals to monitor environmental conditions in real time and respond immediately to potential gas leaks.
Future Developments and Commercialization
Dr. Kwon Ki Chang expressed plans to further optimize catalyst combinations to develop customized intelligent sensors capable of selectively detecting hazardous gases tailored to specific site conditions. This ongoing research aims to expand the technology’s applicability and enhance its precision in various environments.
The announcement comes as industries worldwide seek more sustainable and efficient solutions for gas detection. As this technology progresses towards commercialization, it promises to revolutionize safety standards in both industrial and personal settings, offering a more reliable and cost-effective approach to gas monitoring.
