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Gas Sensors: Towards an Artificial Nose

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Book cover Sensors and Sensory Systems for Advanced Robots

Part of the book series: NATO ASI Series ((NATO ASI F,volume 43))

Abstract

The design of an artificial nose requires (a) a knowledge of the “olfactory language”, i.e. the molecular parameters of the odorants that are measured by specific receptors in the nasal mucosa; (b) the availability of gas sensors, specific, reversible and sensitive, able to convert chemical informations into electric signals.

For what concerns the understanding of odour recognition at the molecular level, it is known that specific receptor proteins, present in the olfactory mucosa, discriminate the various molecular structures on the basis of size, shape and position of functional groups: in this process the hydrocarbon part of the molecule is often very critical.

Gas sensors, based on polymers of aromatic and heteroaromatic molecules, that exhibit electrical conducting properties, can be used as specific odour detectors. Their electrical resistance varies upon interaction with several substances in the gas phase, with a specificity related both to the presence of functional groups and to the shape of the hydrocarbon part of the odorant molecule.

This characteristic, together with fast responses and high stability, make such polymers suitable for designing an artificial nose. Moreover, their organic nature would allow the synthesis of new polymers tailored for detecting particular gases or for spscific needs.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Istituto di Industrie Agrarie, Universita’ degli Studi, via S.Michele, 4, Pisa, Italy

    Paolo Pelosi & Krishna Persaud

  2. Dept. of Physiology and Biophysics, Medical College of Virginia, Box 551, MCV Station, Richmond, Virginia, 23298, USA

    Paolo Pelosi & Krishna Persaud

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  1. Paolo Pelosi
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  2. Krishna Persaud
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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Scuola Superiore di Studi Universitari e di Perfezionamento S. Anna, Via Carducci 40, I-56100, Pisa, Italy

    Paolo Dario

  2. Centro “E. Piaggio”, University of Pisa, Via Diotisalvi, 2, I-56100, Pisa, Italy

    Paolo Dario

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© 1988 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg

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Pelosi, P., Persaud, K. (1988). Gas Sensors: Towards an Artificial Nose. In: Dario, P. (eds) Sensors and Sensory Systems for Advanced Robots. NATO ASI Series, vol 43. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-83410-3_17

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-83410-3_17

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-642-83412-7

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