Butterfly-inspired hydrogen sensor is powered by light

The sensor is said to produce ‘ultra-precise’ results at room temperature, detecting hydrogen leaks before they pose safety risks and could also measure small amounts of gas on people’s breath - a potentially useful tool in the diagnosis of gut disorders.

Commercial hydrogen sensors work at temperatures of 150 degrees C or higher, but the prototype developed by the RMIT team has been made up of tiny spheres called photonic or colloidal crystals. According to researchers, the hollow shapes are similar to minuscule bumps found on the surface of butterfly wings and are ‘ultra-efficient’ at absorbing light. This allows the sensor to draw all the energy it needs to operate from a beam of light, rather than heat.

The team’s findings, published in the journal ACS Sensors, suggest that the sensor can detect hydrogen at concentrations from as little as ten parts per million molecules (for medical diagnoses) to 40,000 parts per million (the level where gas becomes potentially explosive).