LED-Based Photoacoustic NO2Sensor with a Sub-ppb Detection Limit

Juho Karhu*, Tuomas Hieta, Farshid Manoocheri, Markku Vainio, Erkki Ikonen

*Corresponding author for this work

    Research output: Contribution to journalArticleScientificpeer-review

    19 Citations (Scopus)

    Abstract

    A high-sensitivity light-emitting diode (LED)-based photoacoustic NO2 sensor is demonstrated. Sensitive photoacoustic gas sensors based on incoherent light sources are typically limited by background noise and drifts due to a strong signal generated by light absorbed at the photoacoustic cell walls. Here, we reach a sub-ppb detection limit and excellent stability using cantilever-enhanced photoacoustic detection and perform a two-channel relative measurement. A white-light LED is used as a light source, and the spectrum is divided into two wavelength channels with a dichroic filter. The photoacoustic signals generated by the two wavelength channels are measured simultaneously and used to solve the NO2 concentration. The background signal is highly correlated between the two channels, and its variations are suppressed in the relative measurement. A noise level below 1 ppb is reached with an averaging time of 70 s. This is, to the best of our knowledge, the first time a sub-ppb detection limit is demonstrated with an LED-based photoacoustic NO2 sensor. As LEDs are available at a wide selection of emission wavelengths, the results show great potential for development of cost-effective and sensitive detectors for a variety of other trace gasses as well.

    Original languageEnglish
    Pages (from-to)3303–3307
    JournalACS Sensors
    Volume6
    Issue number9
    DOIs
    Publication statusPublished - 24 Sept 2021
    MoE publication typeA1 Journal article-refereed

    Funding

    The work was supported by the Academy of Finland (Project Numbers 326444 and 314364) and by the Academy of Finland’s Flagship Programme, Photonics Research and Innovation (PREIN), Decision Number: 320167.

    Keywords

    • high sensitivity
    • light-emitting diode
    • NO
    • photoacoustic spectroscopy
    • trace gas sensor
    • NO2

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