Battery-Sensor Hybrid: A New Gas Sensing Paradigm with Complete Energy Self-Sufficiency

Abstract

Fully autonomous operation has long been an ultimate goal in environmental sensing. Although self-powered gas sensors based on energy harvesting have been widely reported to provide power for autonomous operation, these sensors rely on external sources of harvestable energy, thus are not completely self-sufficient. Herein, a battery-sensor hybrid device that can simultaneously function as both a power source and a gas sensor is presented. The battery-sensor consists of a cathode that reduces NO 2 to NO 2 − via a catalyst with Fe−N x species distributed on highly graphitic porous nitrogen-doped carbon. On the basis of the efficient and selective electrocatalytic activity of the catalyst, the battery-sensor is capable of sensing NO 2 and does so without any external power, overcoming the long-standing grand challenge to achieve complete energy self-sufficiency. Furthermore, through controlling the working current the sensing range can be significantly expanded and electronically tuned, which is not only unprecedented for gas sensors but also of remarkable commercial practicality. The proposed battery-sensor hybrid architecture represents a new paradigm toward sensors with complete energy self-sufficiency.

A Self‐Powered, Rechargeable, and Wearable Hydrogel Patch for Wireless Gas Detection with Extraordinary Performance

“…Colorimetric Detection of NO 2 − : A transparent standard solution was configured by mixing a dilute hydrochloric acid solution of p-aminobenzene sulfonamide and a dilute hydrochloric acid solution of N-1-Naphthyl ethylenediamine. [49,63] The hydrogel was immersed in the transparent standard solution for 1 min. After wiping off the redundant solution, the hydrogel was assembled into the sensor.…”

“…From the response versus concentration curve (Figure 2e), the sensor exhibits an extremely high sensitivity of 1.74%/ppb over the wide concentration range (200 ppb -10 ppm) with outstanding linearity (R 2 = 0.999), which is vastly superior to existing self-powered NO 2 sensors. [35,48,49] Even in the extremely low concentration range (13.3-67.7 ppb), the sensor displays a high sensitivity of 1.92%/ppb (Figure S11, Supporting Information). Attributing to the ultrahigh sensitivity and low noise level (RMS noise = 0.067%, Note S2, Supporting Information), an ultralow theoretical LOD is calculated as 0.105 ppb (Figure 2f), [50] which has great prospects for the detection of trace biomarkers.…”

Recent Progress of Energy-Storage-Device-Integrated Sensing Systems

“…According to this principle, a battery type gas sensor can be designed to reflect the detected gas concentration by its output voltage. So, Ho et al [ 127 ] developed a battery–sensor hybrid that could be used as both a power supply and a gas sensor. The hybrid consists of carbon cloth deposited with zinc and Fe-N x doped porous carbon catalyst, respectively, as electrodes.…”

Compressible Zn–Air Batteries Based on Metal–Organic Frameworks Nanoflake‐Assembled Carbon Frameworks for Portable Motion and Temperature Monitors

“…[22][23][24][25][26] As the key component in FZABs, air electrodes are required to be active for oxygen electrocatalytic reaction, [27] but also have good mechanical flexibility and stability for wearable applications. [28] Recently, FZABs have been reported as power sources which successfully driven various portable sensors, such as pulse, [29] gas, [30] temperature and humidity, [31] and even the highly integrated sensor for the detection of ambient light, gyroscope, humidity, and so on. [32] For instance, Zhong and co-workers fabricated a FZAB using carbon fibers-decorated Pt/C and Co 3 O 4 as the air electrode, and powered a pulse sensor.…”