以氧化鈀奈米粒子修飾薄膜製作即時氫氣檢測裝置

Abstract

氫氣在作為永續發展的乾淨能源應用上日趨重要，但在空氣中超過4 個體積百分率的氫氣外洩容易引發爆炸，因此當使用高濃度氫氣時，氫氣外洩的即時檢測非常重要。本研究以氧化鈀奈米粒子修飾薄膜製作即時氫氣檢測裝置，將被活化的聚對苯二甲酸乙二酯(Polyethylene terephthalate，PET)薄膜浸在前驅物溶液中以生長單層氧化鈀奈米粒子(Palladium (II) oxide，PdO)，並藉其對氫氣反應後從黃色薄膜轉黑的氣致變色特性作為氫氣偵測機制。為了可以遠端監控氫氣外洩狀況，研究中搭配發光二極體(Light-emitting diode，LED)和光電晶體(Phototransistor)藉由光穿透薄膜後產生的電訊號來偵測薄膜是否變色，並即時發送氫氣外洩的手機訊息以通知使用者。根據這樣的設計，此處所提出的可攜帶式氧化鈀奈米粒子修飾薄膜即時氫氣檢測裝置可提供室溫下可靠的氫氣外洩監控，因此能於氫能源相關應用中有效降低爆炸的風險。

Hydrogen gas has received increasing attention due to its use as a sustainable and clean energy resource. However, the risk of explosion because of gas leaking when the concentration is above 4 vol% has raised lots of concerns. Hydrogen gas leakage detection is therefore a critical issue when this source of energy supply is in use. Herein, a hydrogen gas responsive intelligent device relying on gasochromic films for real-time detection is demonstrated. Palladium (II) oxide (PdO) nanoparticles are generated on polyethylene terephthalate (PET) thin films by immersing an activated substrate in the precursor solution. This operation generates a monolayer of PdO nanoparticles decorating on the PET substrate, and the film color can change from yellow to black when it is exposed to hydrogen gas. A LED/phototransistor module can therefore be integrated to design a sensing device relying on output signal changes upon the film transmittance alteration. This hydrogen gas responsive design can transfer optical signals to a smartphone warning message, and a real-time hydrogen leakage can consequently be monitored. Current intelligent device design provides a portable and promising approach for hydrogen leaking detection at room temperature, which can lower the explosion risk when this type of energy resource is used.