A chemiresistive methane sensor
Máté J. Bezdek, Shao‐Xiong Lennon Luo, Kang Hee Ku, Timothy M. Swager
Abstract
Significance Methane is potentially explosive and is a major threat to environmental health as a potent greenhouse gas. However, its volatility and nonpolar nature render selective methane detection a significant challenge. Here we report a chemiresistive sensor based on single-walled carbon nanotubes and a molecular platinum-polyoxometalate complex known to mediate methane oxidation near ambient conditions. We show that the composite is a robust sensor that operates at room temperature, exhibits air and moisture stability, as well as selectivity for methane. Our results demonstrate that concepts in molecular methane oxidation can be leveraged to develop low-power, low-cost, and potentially distributable sensors for selective methane detection.