LSU Mechanical Engineering Professor Designs Toxic Chemical Sensor
April 24, 2024
BATON ROUGE, LA – LSU Mechanical Engineering Associate Professor Manas Gartia is leading a team of researchers in designing a novel electrochemical sensor that will detect toxic chemicals in the environment. This sensor will help with environmental research, public health testing, and PFAS containment and alarm system.
“Perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), also known as ‘forever chemicals,’ are toxic chemicals found nearly everywhere on Earth and are a threat to public health,” Gartia said. “To address this problem, my team has created a novel electrochemical sensor that is portable, economical, and can rapidly detect PFAS in the environment.”
The sensor is made of a working electrode, counter electrode, and can include a reference electrode. The working electrode is comprised of a metal or metal alloy in the form of nanoparticles, wire, or nanoscale electrocatalysts such as platinum. A perfluorinated anion exchange isomer film is located within the working electrode, which may be screen printed on many surfaces such as ceramic, glass, quartz, polymers, or hydrogel substrates.
“Experimental results show these sensors do not need redox probes and have a limit of detection (LOD) less than or equal to 7 ppb in buffered or drinking water,” Gartia said.
Benefits of the novel sensor include fast results, LOD lower than tradition methods, not requiring redox-active probes (making the sensor more convenient and transportable), and the nanoscale electrocatalysts sensors have large operating temperature range (-40-300°C).
Gartia's technology, which has a patent pending, received assistance from LSU's Office of Innovation & Technology Commercialization (ITC). Helping Gartia on the project are his previous postdoc student Sushant Sahu and former LSU Chemical Engineering Associate Professor Chris Arges.
About LSU ITC
LSU ITC protects and commercializes LSU’s intellectual property. The office focuses on transferring early-stage inventions and works into the marketplace for the greater benefit of society. ITC also handles federal invention reporting, which allows LSU to receive hundreds of millions of dollars each year in federally funded research, and processes confidentiality agreements, material transfer agreements, and other agreements related to intellectual property.
Like us on Facebook (@lsuengineering) or follow us on X (formerly Twitter) and Instagram (@lsuengineering).
###
Contact: Libby Haydel
Communications Manager
225-578-4840
ehaydel1@lsu.edu
Latest College of Engineering News
- LSU Computer Science Student Builds Interactive Lobby ExperienceMay 10, 2024BATON ROUGE, La. – The lobbies of LSU's Music & Dramatic Arts Building, School of Music Building, and Tiger Band Hall will soon feature a helpful new interactive digital kiosk experience for students and patrons alike, built by LSU College of Engineering undergraduate student Caleb Langley.
- LSU Electrical, Computer Engineering Seniors Design Virtual Lab for Remote ExperimentsMay 13, 2024BATON ROUGE, LA - As part of their senior capstone project, four LSU Electrical and Computer Engineering seniors designed a virtual lab that will allow LSU Mechanical Engineering students to conduct pipe-flow experiments from a remote location. The project's sponsor, LSU Mechanical and Industrial Engineering Department Chair and Professor Dimitris Nikitopoulos, thought of the project when students were stuck at home during the pandemic. The group's efforts are funded by Chevron.
- Mechanical Engineering Seniors Design Equipment for B-52s at Barksdale AFBMay 10, 2024BATON ROUGE, LA - As part of their senior capstone project, six LSU Mechanical Engineering seniors have been working with Barksdale Airforce Base in Bossier City, La., to design an apparatus that will enable airmen to more easily work on or change out the engines on their B-52 bombers. Considering Barksdale AFB houses 26 B-52s, and each B-52 has eight engines, the students' design should definitely come in handy.
- College of Engineering Honors Five at Evening of Engineering Excellence EventMay 8, 2024BATON ROUGE, LA - The LSU College of Engineering recently held its first Evening of Engineering Excellence event on April 25, inducting several new members into its Society for Engineering Excellence and Hall of Distinction.
- LSU Mechanical Engineering Instructor Creates ASPIRE Course for EducatorsMay 7, 2024BATON ROUGE, LA - Look! Up in the sky! It's a bird! It's a plane! It's...a drone. Drones are literally taking off and LSU Mechanical Engineering Senior Instructor Andrew Becnel wants students to keep up. Becnel, who is a graduate of LSU's Mechanical Engineering program and has a master's degree and Ph.D. in aerospace engineering from the University of Maryland, understands the importance of drone technology, especially in Louisiana.
- LSU Research Team Working to Increase Supply of Affordable, Resilient Housing in High-Risk AreasMay 6, 2024BATON ROUGE, LA - With hurricane season around the corner, a team of LSU researchers is exploring the feasibility of FORTIFIED® elevated manufactured homes as a solution for lower- and middle-income residents in high-risk areas. The outcomes of the project have the potential to enhance housing supply significantly, particularly in areas prone to natural disasters, offer greater safety to residents, and reduce burden on the National Flood Insurance Program and other disaster prevention, mitigation, and relief endeavors.