Metal Nanoparticle Sensors (MNPS)

We have developed a nanotechnology enabled Metal Nanoparticle Sensor (MNPS). The first product in this platform is a palladium nanoparticle-based hydrogen sensor. Nanoparticles of palladium provide high surface to bulk ratio compared to macro scale palladium thin films used for hydrogen sensing. Our nanoparticle sensor has an increased percentage of active surface atoms that detect molecular events more effectively and maximize sensor signal in comparison to a thin film. The effective surface area of nanoparticles increases on reaction with hydrogen causing electrical shorts within a random network resulting in a change of electrical conductivity.