Method and Apparatus for Sensing Humidity

DWPI Title: Humidity sensor used in pharmaceuticals, mining, electronics, and aerospace, has hydrogel comprising hydrophilic polymer, and carbon nitride dots embedded in hydrogel, where carbon nitride dots generate colorimetric response in visible light in response to absorption of moisture by hydrogel
Use: Humidity sensor for use in pharmaceuticals, mining, electronics, and aerospace.
Advantage: The sensor allows for a nondestructive, nontoxic, and photostable use case. Since the hydrogel has an affinity for water, and the carbon dots change color due to oxidation in water as the gel soaks up water either from humidity or water droplets, the carbon dots will change different colors representative of different concentrations of available water in the environment. The structure independence of this carbon dot sensing component allows for a multitude of compatible material substrates, and can be prepared rapidly and economically. Carbon nitride dots are zero-dimensional nanoparticles that have excitation-wavelength-dependent multiple emission states. Carbon nitride dots have high photostability, low cost, good bio compatibility, high water solubility, and tunable photolumi nescence. Carbon nitride dots are inexpensive to synthesize, and hydrogels are low-cost materials, making carbon nitride dot-based hydrogel humidity sensors an attractive option for cost-sensitive applications.
Novelty: The humidity sensor has: a hydrogel comprising a hydrophilic polymer; and carbon nitride dots embedded in the hydrogel. The carbon nitride dots generate a colorimetric response in visible light in response to absorption of moisture by the hydrogel.
Filed: 4/8/2024
Application Number: US18628868A
Tech ID: SD 16570.0
This invention was made with Government support under Contract No. DE-NA0003525 awarded by the United States Department of Energy/National Nuclear Security Administration. The Government has certain rights in the invention.
Data from Derwent World Patents Index, provided by Clarivate
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