Researchers at the Universities of Toronto and St. Francis Xavier are developing an affordable, energy efficient and ultra-sensitive nanosensor that has the potential to detect even one molecule of carbon dioxide (CO₂).

Current sensors used to detect CO₂ at surface sites are either very expensive or they use a lot of energy. And they’re not as accurate as they could be. Improving the accuracy of measuring and monitoring stored CO₂ is seen as key to winning public acceptance of carbon capture and storage as a greenhouse gas mitigation method.

With funding from Carbon Management Canada (CMC), Dr. Harry Ruda of the Centre for Nanotechnology at the University of Toronto and Dr. David Risk of St. Francis Xavier are working on single nanowire transistors that should have unprecedented sensitivity for detecting CO₂ emissions.

CMC, a national network that supports game-changing research to reduce CO₂ emissions in the fossil energy industry as well as from other large stationary emitters, is providing Ruda and his team $350,000 over three years. The grant is part of CMC’s third round of funding which saw the network award $3.75 million to Canadian researchers working on eight different projects.

The sensor technology needed to monitor and validate the amount of CO₂ being emitted has not kept pace with the development of other technologies required for carbon capture and storage (CCS), says Ruda.

>>more

Source: R&D Magazine webcast - Mon, 02/04/2013 - 9:20am