A novel gas-ionization sensor based on aligned multi-walled carbon nanotubes

Abstract

In this paper, we propose a novel gas-ionization sensor based on aligned multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWNT) at normal temperature and pressure. It consists of an Al plate electrode, a plastic thin film and a MWNT electrode. Breakdown voltages and discharge currents are recorded through a peripheral detecting circuit. I–V curves formed by cubic spline interpolation algorithm utilizing experimental data help the sensor system improve the detecting accuracy. Some experiments are conducted in order to explore MWNT gas sensor properties, such as the effect of interelectrode distance and environmental factors. The novel MWNT-based gas-ionization sensor described here exhibits high accuracy, repeatability and stability. The sensor is promising for use in various fields.