Mechanical Pencil Draws Nanotube Sensors

Oct-11-12 A mechanical pencil able to transfer a nanotube sensor onto a piece of paper may offer an environmentally friendly alternative for installing carbon nanotube sensors.

Developed by MIT postdoc Katherine Mirica, the mechanical pencil device is filled with carbon nanotube powder instead of the usual graphite. Sensors can be created by drawing carbon nanotubes on sheets of gold-electrode printed paper, whereupon an electrical current is applied to detect specific gases or toxins. A disruption in the current will signal the presence of the gas, and the sensors can be adapted to detect almost any type of gas.

Traditionally, creating nanotube sensors has involved dissolving nanotubes in a solvent such as dichlorobenzene through a process that can be both dangerous and unreliable.

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[INHABITAT.COM]
[MIT]

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