Michele Penza

ENEA | ENEA · Department for Sustainability - Division Sustainable Materials - Brindisi Research Center

The accurate measurement of moisture content in pure gases and in gas mixtures, such as air, has great relevance in many industrial processes. In the present study, graphene oxide reduced through a mild alkaline treatment was used as a humidity sensing material to fabricate a flexible chemiresistive device operating at room temperature. The active...

The development of efficient sensors able to detect alcoholic compounds has great relevance in many fields including medicine, pharmaceuticals, food and beverages, safety, and security. In addition, the measurements of alcohols in air are significant for environmental protection because volatile alcohols can have harmful effects on human health not...

Flexible sensors, with an active layer made of graphene oxide (GO), were produced to detect volatile organic compounds (VOCs) at room temperature. Copper interdigitated electrodes were inkjet printed on a substrate of bimatted polyester and the direct drop casting of a GO water solution allowed the device coating. The performance of both commercial...

Air pollution significantly affects public health in many countries. In particular, indoor air quality can be equally, if not more, concerning than outdoor emissions of pollutant gases. However, monitoring the air quality in homes and apartments using chemical analyzers may be not affordable for households due to their high costs and logistical iss...

The aim of this work is to investigate the possibility of applying optical spectroscopy methods for the recognition and sorting of end-of life (EoL) photovoltaic panels (PVs) collected at WEEE pre-treatment plants, where they arrive, nowadays, without any label containing information about their composition and structure. EoL PVs belong to the cate...

This report provides a comprehensive update on the use and operation of low-cost sensing devices for assessing atmosphere chemical composition. The original report, published by WMO in 2018, was fully revised to update new scholarly understanding of low-cost sensors (LCS) that was published in the peer-reviewed literature. While some of the origin...

Atmospheric pollution is one of the biggest concerns for public health. Air quality monitoring is currently performed by expensive and cumbersome monitoring stations. For this reason, they are sparse, and therefore, inadequate to provide enough accurate information on the personal exposure to pollutant gases. The current worldwide trend to address...

Highly porous nanocrystalline TiO2 films were sensitized with ZnS semiconductor nanocrystals by using a three-step facile strategy. The TiO2 matrices were firstly impregnated with the zinc bis(benzyl)thiol precursor that, unlike many other metal chalcogenides, is easily dispersible in the most common organic solvents. In the second step of the adop...

In this paper we report about the synthesis and characterization of graphene oxide (GO). We monitor the effects of the different synthetic processes on the morphological and structural properties of the materials. A modified Hummers' method is adopted to obtain GO powder; H2SO4 is employed as intercalating agent, to increase the distance between gr...

The United States Environmental Protection Agency held an international two-day workshop in June 2018 to deliberate possible performance targets for non-regulatory fine particulate matter (PM 2.5 ) and ozone (O 3 ) air sensors. The need for a workshop arose from the lack of any market-wide manufacturer requirement for documented sensor performance...

The current datasets comprise of air quality data collected during an AQ monitoring campaign in Aveiro, Portugal, for two weeks in October 2014 (from October 13 until October 27) in order to present the results of an intercomparison of AQ microsensors with reference methods. The two-week experimental campaign was conducted in an urban traffic locat...

A sensors network based on 8 stationary nodes distributed in Bari (Southern Italy) hasbeen deployed for urban air quality monitoring during advection events of Saharan dust in theperiod 2015–2017. The low-cost sensor-systems have been installed in specific sites (buildings,offices, schools, streets, airport) to assess the PM10 concentration at high...

The EuNetAir Joint Exercise focused on the evaluation and assessment of environmental gaseous, particulate matter (PM) and meteorological microsensors versus standard air quality reference methods through an experimental urban air quality monitoring campaign. This work presents the second part of the results, including evaluation of parameter depen...

Measurement of reactive air pollutants and greenhouse gases underpin a huge variety of applications that span from academic research through to regulatory functions and services for individuals, governments, and businesses. Whilst the vast majority of these observations continue to use established analytical reference methods, miniaturization has l...

https://www.beilstein-journals.org/bjnano/articles/8/201

A sensors network based on 11 nodes (10 stationary and 1 mobile mounted on public bus) distributed in Bari (Italy) has been deployed for urban air quality (AQ) monitoring. The low-cost sensor-systems have been installed in specific sites (buildings, offices, schools, streets, port, airport) to enhance environmental awareness of the citizens and to...

Multiwalled carbon nanotube (MWCNT)-based chemiresistors were electrochemically decorated with Au and Pd nanoparticles (NPs), resulting in an improvement in the detection of gaseous pollutants as compared to sensors based on pristine MWCNTs. Electrophoresis was used to decorate MWCNTs with preformed Au or Pd NPs, thus preserving their nanometer-siz...

An electrophoretic process is proposed to deposit electrochemically-preformed Au or Pd NPs, with controlled size, directly on MWCNTs-based chemiresistors to improve the detection of aromatic pollutants, compared to pristine ones. The sensing properties of pristine and functionalized MWCNTs were evaluated at an operating temperature of 40°C towards...

Colloidal Au and Pd nanoparticles (NPs) were directly electrochemically synthesized, by sacrificial anode electrolysis (SAE), on hydrothermal ZnO nanostructures, previously desiccated; further, the functionalized ZnO nanostructures were subjected to thermal annealing at 550°C to obtain stable ZnO nanorods (NRs), superficially decorated by naked met...

Pristine and electrochemically Pd-modified ZnO nanorods (ZnO NRs) were proposed as active sensing layers in chemiresistive gas sensors for hydrocarbon (HC) gas detection (e.g., CH4, C3H8, C4H10). The presence of Pd nanoparticles (NPs) on the surface of ZnO NRs, obtained after the thermal treatment at 550 °C, was revealed by morphological and surfac...

The 1st EuNetAir Air Quality Joint Intercomparison Exercise organized in Aveiro (Portugal) from 13th–27th October 2014, focused on the evaluation and assessment of environmental gas, particulate matter (PM) and meteorological microsensors, versus standard air quality reference methods through an experimental urban air quality monitoring campaign. T...

Pristine and various palladium (Pd) doped ZnO nanorods have been synthesized on the quartz crystal microbalance (QCM) for volatile organic compound (VOCs) sensors at room temperature. The doping concentrations were varied from 0 mol% to 2.5 mol% by using electrochemical deposition method. The diameters of the fabricated nanorods were in the range o...

A one-step electrochemical method based on sacrificial anode electrolysis (SAE) was used to deposit stabilized gold nanoparticles (Au NPs) directly on the surface of nanostructured ZnO powders, previously synthesized through a sol–gel process. The effect of thermal annealing temperatures (300 and 550 °C) on chemical, morphological, and structural p...

This is a short overview of the COST Action TD1105 EuNetAir - European Network on New Sensing Technologies for Air-Pollution Control and Environmental Sustainability - funded in the framework European Cooperation in the field of Scientific and Technical Research (COST) during the period 2012-2016.

Multiwalled carbon nanotube (MWCNT)-based gas sensors were decorated by an electrophoretic deposition of electrochemically preformed gold nanoparticles (Au NPs) with controlled size and loading, for the detection of gaseous pollutants at sub-ppm concentrations and operating temperature in the range of 100–200°C. The effects of the tailored Au conte...

Controlled amounts of colloidal Au nanoparticles (NPs), electrochemically pre-synthesized, were directly deposited on MWCNTs sensor devices by electrophoresis. Pristine and Au-functionalized MWCNT networked films were tested as active layers in resistive gas sensors for detection of pollutant gases. Au-modified CNT-chemiresistor demonstrated higher...

Metal oxides (MOx) and noble metal modified MOx are a well-known sensing material for the detection of pollutants of automotive and environmental interest such as nitrogen oxides (NOx). [1-3] ZnO is considered a promising and versatile sensing material for solid-state semiconductor gas sensors because of the excellent sensitivity and selectivity fi...

Stabilized Au NPs were directly deposited on nanostructured ZnO and ZrO2 by a simple one-step strategy based on sacrificial anode electrolysis. The annealed nanocomposites are proposed as active layers in resistive gas sensors for low-cost processes. Results on the performance of gas sensors based on pristine and Au-doped MOx nanostructured thin fi...

This paper gives a short technical report on preliminary real-world measurements by low-cost gas sensor-systems for air quality monitoring. Measurements were performed by low-cost electrochemical gas sensors (CO, NO 2 , O 3 , SO 2), optical particle counter/detector (PM 1.0 , PM 2.5 , PM 10), NDIR infrared sensor (CO 2), photo-ionisation detector (...

The sensing properties of tetra-tert-butyl copper phthalocyanine (ttb-CuPc) toward toluene at room temperature are reported in this manuscript. Thin films of ttb-CuPc were obtained by thermal evaporation. The similarities between powdered and layered material have been confirmed by FTIR analysis. Taking into consideration the interactions involved...

This is a short overview of the COST Action TD1105 EuNetAir - European Network on New Sensing Technologies for Air- Pollution Control and Environmental Sustainability - funded in the framework European Cooperation in the field of Scientific and Technical Research (COST) during the period 2012-2016.

This experimental study focusses on air quality monitoring by low-cost and accurate sensors to provide a rank of air quality indices for citizens community in smart cities. Inter-comparison long-term measurements of CO, NO 2 , SO 2 and PM 10 are performed in a real scenario using referenced chemical analyzers at air-quality monitoring stations. The...

This paper gives a detailed technical overview on some new sensing technologies for environmental sustainability in the context of the smart cities. COST Action TD1105 EuNetAir is the European networking framework to discuss a research roadmap for new sustainable technologies applied to the air quality monitoring, indoor/outdoor energy efficiency,...

In the present study, Au-surfactant core-shell colloidal nanoparticles (NPs) with controlled dimension and composition were synthesized by sacrificial anode electrolysis. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) revealed that Au NPs core diameter is between 8 and 12 nm, as a function of the electrosynthesis conditions. Moreover, surface spectroscopic...

In ENEA, at Brindisi Research Center, a portable gas sensor system called NASUS IV based on solid-state gas sensors was built. This system is the last result of our technology researches in the area of tiny and portable sensor systems for air quality control. The main goal of the system designed and built in our laboratory is the development of a h...

This is a short overview of the COST Action TD1105 EuNetAir—European Network on New Sensing Technologies for Air-Pollution Control and Environmental Sustainability—funded in the framework European Cooperation in the Field of Scientific and Technical Research (COST) during the period 2012–2016. The main objective of the concerted action is to develo...

The purpose of this paper is to present a research study on application of low-cost solid-state gas microsensors for odour control and air-pollution monitoring in a landfill. The method introduces microsensors based on commercial devices of n-type metal oxides for cost-effective and real-time monitoring. This research provides a comparative study a...

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Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) have exceptional physical properties that make them one of the most promising building blocks for future nanotechnologies in the gas-sensing applications. CNTs may play a key role in the development of innovative gas sensors based on flexible substrates, nanosensors and ultrahigh sensitivity devices at low power consumption...

Environmental monitoring is strongly required to protect the public health and save the environment from toxic contaminants and pathogens that can be released into air. Air-pollutants include carbon monoxide (CO), nitrogen dioxide (NO 2), sulfur dioxide (SO 2), that originate from various sources such as vehicle emissions, power plants, refineries,...

A sensors array based on two different types of chemical sensors such as tin dioxide commercial sensors and carbon nanotubes innovative sensors developed in the ENEA laboratories to monitor gases (e.g., CO, NO 2, SO 2, H 2S and CO 2) of relevance in polluted air has been analyzed. Measurements of chemical sensing of the sensors array have been perf...

A portable sensor-system based on solid-state gas sensors has been designed and implemented as proof-of-concept for environmental air-monitoring applications and malodours olfactometric control. Commercial gas sensors (metal-oxides, n-type) and nanotechnology sensors (carbon nanotubes, p-type) are arranged in a configuration of array for multisensi...

The complexity of the odours issue arises from the sensory nature of smell. From the evolutionary point of view olfaction is one of the oldest senses, allowing for seeking food, recognizing danger or communication: human olfaction is a protective sense as it allows the detection of potential illnesses or infections by taking into account the odour...

Air environmental measurements in a waste treatment plant: one-year campaign for sensors technology assessment”– Ecomondo 2011, Rimini, 9-12 novembre 2011.

An array of commercial gas sensors and nanotechnology sensors has been integrated to quantify gas concentration of air-pollutants. A variety of chemoresistive gas sensors, commercial (Figaro and Fis) and developed at ENEA laboratories (metal-modified carbon nanotubes) were tested to implement a database useful for applied artificial neural networks...

A portable sensor‐system based on solid‐state gas sensors has been designed and implemented as proof‐of‐concept for environmental air‐monitoring applications, malodours olfactometric control and landfill gas monitoring. Commercial gas sensors and nanotechnology sensors are arranged in a configuration of array for multisensing and multiparameter de...

Networked carbon nanotubes (CNTs) films have been grown by chemical vapor deposition (CVD) technology onto miniaturized Co-coated alumina substrates for NO2 and NH3 gas sensing applications, at a sensor temperature of 150°C. The sidewalls of the CNTs films have been modified by spray-coating with two different metalloporphyrins (MPPs) consisting of...

A Quartz Crystal Microbalance (QCM) gas sensor coated with carbon nanotubes (CNTs) layered films as chemically interactive nanomaterial is described. A QCM resonator integrated on AT-cut quartz substrate has been functionally characterized as oscillator at the resonant frequency of 10 MHz. The CNTs have been grown by chemical vapor deposition (CVD)...

Networked films of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) have been grown by CVD technology onto low-cost miniaturized alumina substrates. The sidewalls of the CNTs films have been modified by spray-coating with two different metalloporphyrins (MPPs) consisting of a TetraPhenylPorphyrin coordinated by a central metal of zinc (Zn-TPP) and manganese (Mn-TPP) for en...

A surface acoustic wave (SAW) gas sensor incorporating metal oxides nanoplatelets layers as chemically interactive material is presented. SAW two-port resonators fabricated using a ST-cut quartz substrate were used as an oscillators in dual differential mode operating at the resonant frequency of 433.92 MHz. Anodized WO(3) and evaporated MoO(3) nan...

A surface acoustic wave (SAW) sensor with titania nanotubular layer as the gas sensitive material has been developed. This SAW 433 MHz two-port resonator has been fabricated on ST-cut quartz substrate and functionally characterized as an oscillator in dual differential mode. Solvent-casting coatings of anodized TiO(2) nanotubes have been used for c...

Porphyrins have been widely used for many years as functional materials for chemical sensors. Their outstanding chemical features are balanced by some restrictions in terms of transduction techniques. In particular, porphyrin layers are barely conductive, with the consequence that the fabrication of porphyrin based chemiresistors is not possible, e...

A Quartz Crystal Microbalance (QCM) gas sensor coated with carbon nanotubes (CNTs) layered films as chemically interactive nanomaterial is described. A QCM resonator integrated on AT-cut quartz substrate has been functionally characterized as oscillator at the resonant frequency of 10 MHz. The CNTs have been grown by chemical vapor deposition (CVD)...

In this work, carbon nanomaterials have been prepared by CVD technology onto alumina substrates, coated by nanosized Co-catalyst at different thickness (2.5 nm and 7.5 nm) and used for a simple gas sensor device. The surface has been functionalized with sputtered Pt-nanocluster at a tuned loading of 8, 15 and 30 nm. The response of the chemiresisto...

Thermoelectric power (TEP) of the carbon nanotubes (CNTs) films, grown by radiofrequency plasma-enhanced chemical vapor technology onto silicon substrates, has been measured. Two different metal contacts of Cr–Al and Cr–Au have been fabricated for the CNTs-based thermocouples and preliminarily investigated. The CNTs-based thermocouples exhibit larg...

Vertically-aligned carbon nanotubes (CNTs) films have been grown by radiofrequency plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition system onto alumina substrates, coated with 2.5 nm thick Fe catalyst, for NO2, H2 and C2H5OH gas sensing applications, at sensor temperatures from room-temperature to 150°C. The CNTs appear in the form of forest-like structur...