Solid state sensor for carbon monoxide

Claim 2

A solid state CO sensor comprising: a CO sensing chemistry, comprising: a color forming agent comprising a source of Mo +6 , W +6 or V +5 ions; a catalyst comprising a source of Pd +2 , Ru +8 or Os +8 ions; a reversing agent comprising a source of Fe +3 , Cr +6 or Ce +4 ions; a redox property modifier comprising a source of acetate ions; a polymer embedding matrix containing the CO sensing chemistry.

Claim 3

The CO sensor of claim 1 further comprising a light source for inputting a light beam into the matrix with embedded chemistry and a detector for measuring an attenuated light beam from the matrix with embedded chemistry.

Claim 4

The CO sensor of claim 1 wherein polymer is selected from the group consisting of poly(vinyl chloride) (PVC), carboxylated PVC, polystyrene, cellulose derivatives, variations of plexiglass, silanes, siloxanes, silicones.

Claim 5

The CO sensor of claim 1 wherein at least one of the color forming agent, catalyst or reversing agent comprise an active ion with a lipophilic counterion.

Claim 6

The CO sensor of claim 1 further comprising a permeation enhancer in the matrix.

Claim 7

The CO sensor of claim 5 wherein the permeation enhancer is a plasticizer.

Claim 8

The CO sensor of claim 1 wherein the source of Mo +6 ions is a molybdenum salt or acid salt or organometal complex; the source of W +6 ions is a tungsten salt or acid salt or organometal complex; the source of V +5 ions is a vanadium salt or organometal complex; the source of Pd +2 ions is a palladium salt; the source of Ru +8 ions is a ruthenium salt; the source of Os +8 ions is an osmium salt; the source of Fe +3 ions is an iron salt; the source of Cr +6 ions is a chromium salt; the source of Ce +4 ions is a cerium salt.

Claim 9

The CO sensor of claim 7 wherein the molybdenum salt or acid salt is selected from the group consisting of molybdosilicic acid and salts thereof, molybdenum trioxide, heteropolyacids of molybdenum, ammonium molybdate, ammonium molybdophosphate, molybdophosphoric acid, organomolybdenum compounds, and alkali metal or alkaline earth metal salts of the molybdate anion; the tungsten salt or acid salt is selected from the group consisting of tungstosilicic acid and salts thereof, tungstophosphoric acid, organotungsten compounds, heteropolyacids of tungsten, tungsten trioxide, ammonium tungstate, and alkali metal or alkaline earth metal salts of the tungstate ion; the vanadium salt or organometal complex is selected from the group consisting of vanadium (V) oxide, vanadyl phthalocyanine, vanadium (V) trichloride oxide, vanadium (V) trifluoride oxide, vanadium triisopropoxy oxide, vanadyl octaethylporphine; the palladium salt is selected from the group consisting of palladium sulfate, palladium sulfite, palladium pyrosulfite, palladium chloride, palladium bromide, palladium acetate, palladium perchlorate, CaPdCl 4 , Na 2 PdCl 4 , K 2 PdCl 4 , palladium oxalate, palladium citrate, palladium acetylacetonate, allylpalladium bromide; the iron salt is selected from the group consisting of ferric chloride, ferric sulfate, ferric bromide, ferric iodide, and ferric perchlorate, ferric fluoride, ferric acetylacetonate, ferric ammonium citrate, ferric ammonium sulfate, ferric nitrate, ferric oxalate, ferric phosphate, ammonium ferric citrate, ammonium ferric oxalate; the chromium salt is selected from the group consisting of potassium dichromate, ammonium dichromate, sodium dichromate, sodium chromate, potassium chromate; the cerium salt is selected from the group consisting of cerium sulfate, ammonium cerium nitrate, ammonium cerium sulfate.

Claim 10

The CO sensor of claim 1 wherein the redox property modifier is an acetic acid salt.

Claim 11

The CO sensor of claim 9 wherein the acetic acid salt is selected from the group consisting of sodium acetate, potassium acetate, magnesium acetate, copper acetate, ammonium acetate, lithium acetate.

Claim 12

The CO sensor of claim 1 wherein the CO sensing chemistry further comprises an interference suppressing agent.

Claim 13

The CO sensor of claim 1 wherein the interference suppressing agent comprises a source of ions which form a colorless or white precipitate with an interfering species.

Claim 14

The CO sensor of claim 12 wherein the interference suppressing agent is selected from the group consisting of sodium, potassium, calcium, ammonium, lithium, beryllium, magnesium, calcium salts with counterions selected from nitrate, acetate, chloride, sulfate, phosphate, chlorate, nitrite, carbonate, bicarbonate.

Claim 15

The CO sensor of claim 11 wherein the interference suppressing agent comprises a source of ions which form, with an interfering species, a precipitate which has a color which does not overlap a measurement window of wavelengths.

Claim 16

The CO sensor of claim 11 wherein the interference suppressing agent comprises a source of ions which form, with an interfering species, a precipitate which has a color which has a resolvable overlap with a measurement window of wavelengths.

Claim 17

The CO sensor of claim 1 further comprising a substrate on which the matrix with embedded chemistry is deposited.

Claim 18

The CO sensor of claim 16 wherein the substrate is a support structure on which the matrix with embedded chemistry is mounted.

Claim 19

The CO sensor of claim 16 wherein the substrate is an optical structure through which a light beam is transmitted to and from the matrix with embedded chemistry.

Claim 20

The CO sensor of claim 18 wherein the optical structure is a planar or fiber optic waveguide.

Claim 21

The solid state sensor of claim 18 wherein the optical structure is a waveguide, and further comprising a source of an input light beam having two interfering modes, one of which is changed by changing absorption caused by a color change of the embedded chemistry.

Claim 22

The solid state sensor of claim 18 wherein the optical structure comprises a Mach-Zehnder interferometer having, a sensing arm and a reference arm, each having the matrix with sensing chemistry formed thereon, wherein the sensing arm is exposed to a sample while the reference arm is not, wherein the mode of a light beam transmitted through the sensing arm is changed by changing absorption caused by a color change of the embedded chemistry and interferes with a light beam transmitted through the reference arm.

Claim 23

In a solid state CO sensor having a color forming agent, a catalyst, and a reversing agent embedded in a porous matrix, the improvement comprising at least one of: selecting the catalyst from Ru +8 or Os +8 ions; selecting the reversing agent from Cr +6 or Ce +4 ions.

Claim 24

In a solid state CO sensor having a color forming agent, a catalyst, and a reversing agent embedded in a porous matrix, the improvement comprising at least one of: selecting the catalyst from Ru +8 or Os +8 ions; selecting the reversing agent from Cr +6 or Ce +4 ions.

Claim 25

A solid state CO sensor comprising: a CO sensing chemistry, comprising: a color forming agent selected from molybdenum tungsten or vanadium; a catalyst selected from palladium ruthenium or osmium; a reversing agent selected from iron, chromium, cerium or nickel; a redox property modifying agent which is an acetate; an interference suppressing agent; an embedding matrix containing the CO sensing chemistry.

Claim 26

A solid state CO sensor comprising: a CO sensing chemistry, comprising: a color forming agent selected from molybdenum tungsten or vanadium; a catalyst selected from palladium ruthenium or osmium; a reversing agent selected from iron, chromium, cerium or nickel; a redox property modifying agent which is an acetate; an interference suppressing agent; an embedding matrix containing the CO sensing chemistry.

Claim 27

The CO sensor of claim 23 wherein the embedding matrix comprises a polymer or cross linkable and/or polymerizable monomer.

Claim 28

The CO sensor of claim 24 wherein the sensing chemistry further comprises lipophilic counterions.

Claim 29

The CO sensor of claim 23 wherein the embedding matrix comprises a gel forming material.

Claim 30

The CO sensor of claim 26 wherein the gel forming material is selected from the group consisting of sol gel, silica gel and hydrogel.

Claim 31

The CO sensor of claim 23 wherein the redox property modifier is an acetic acid salt.

Claim 32

The CO sensor of claim 20 wherein the acetic acid salt is selected from the group consisting of sodium acetate, potassium acetate, magnesium acetate, copper acetate, ammonium acetate, lithium acetate.

Claim 33

The CO sensor of claim 23 wherein the interference suppressing agent comprises a source of ions which form a colorless or white precipitate with an interfering species.

Claim 34

The CO sensor of claim 30 wherein the interference suppressing agent is selected from the group consisting of sodium, potassium, calcium, ammonium, lithium, beryllium, magnesium, calcium salts with counterions selected from nitrate, acetate, chloride, sulfate, phosphate, chlorate, nitrite, carbonate, bicarbonate.