Low-Melting Temperature Nano-Solder Enhanced E-Textile Sensors for Simultaneous Detection of Multiple Hazardous Gases

Dangerous gas vapors are often encountered in various scenarios, including soldiers on the battlefield, firefighters on missions, outdoor athletes, cave explorers, and engineers working in chemical labs and plants. Carrying multiple bulky sensor devices to detect various gases can be inefficient and costly. This study aims to develop a cost-effective, lightweight, and electrically conductive sensor that can be easily attached to or integrated into the user's clothing, providing real-time notifications of multiple nearby hazardous gas vapors. Gas-sensitive nanoparticles, such as graphene for ammonia, will be selected as the working materials and printed on the fabric. Metal nanoparticles will be incorporated into these organic materials to form a metal-organic composite, enhancing the response by catalyzing and facilitating reactions. Upon exposure, gas vapors bond with the working materials and alter the fabric's electrical conductivity, which can be translated into signals to detect the presence of harmful gas vapors and provide information on their identities and concentrations. Studies incorporating Sn/In nanoparticles (low-melting nano-solders) into the nanocomposite will test their enhancement of mechanical properties and gas-sensing responses. Additional studies using Sn/In nanoparticles to join multiple sensors for simultaneous gas detection will be conducted to examine their effectiveness as soldering materials. The soldered composite's electrical resistance, morphology, and elemental composition will be analyzed to verify bonding success. The formulation of sensors will be optimized for stability, signal sensitivity, response time, selectivity, and reusability. Lastly, the fabric sensors could be integrated into circuitry with an LED light (or other types of visual or audio signals) to display the gas response, which could be incorporated into the clothing of civilian or combat users, providing a real-time warning of hazardous gas vapors in their surroundings for personal protection.