• Transactions of the Korean hydrogen and new energy society
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• v.27 no.3
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• pp.298-305
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• 2016

In this study, we treated pitch-based activated carbon fibers (ACFs) in hydrogen peroxide using electron beam (E-beam) irradiation to improve nitrogen monoxide (NO) sensing ability as an electrode material of gas sensor. The specific surface area of ACFs treated by E-beam irradiation with 400 kGy increased from $885m^2/g$ (pristine) to $1160m^2/g$ without any changes in structural property and functional group. The increase in specific surface area of the E-beam irradiated ACFs enhanced NO gas sensing properties such as response time and sensitivity. When the ACFs irradiated with 400 kGy, response time was remarkably reduced from 360 s to 210 s and sensitivity was increased by 4.5%, compared to the pristine ACFs. These results demonstrate convincingly that surface modification of ACFs using E-beam in hydrogen peroxide solution can enhance textural properties of ACFs and NO gas sensing ability of gas sensor at room temperature.

• The Journal of Korea Robotics Society
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• v.17 no.3
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• pp.282-287
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• 2022

High shear adhesion on wet and rough surfaces and tactile feedback of gripping forces are highly important for realizing robotic gripper systems. Here, we propose a bioinspired robotic gripper with highly shear adhesion and sensitive pressure sensor for tactile feedback systems. To achieve them, we fabricated multi-walled carbon nanotube sensing layer on a thin polymeric adhesive layer of polydimethylsiloxane. With densely hexagonal-packed microstructures, the pressure sensor achieved 9 times the sensing property of a sensor without microstructures. We then assembled hexagonal microstructures inspired by the toe pads of a tree frog, giving strong shear adhesion under both dry and wet surfaces such as silicon (42 kPa for dry and ~30 kPa for underwater conditions) without chemical-residues after detachment. Our robotic gripper can prevent damage to weak or smooth surfaces that can be damaged at low pressure through pressure signal feedback suggesting a variety of robotic applications.

• Carbon letters
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• v.13 no.4
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• pp.254-259
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• 2012

Nanoporous non-woven carbon fibers for a gas sensor were prepared from a pitch/polyacrylonitrile (PAN) mixed solution through an electrospinning process and their gas-sensing properties were investigated. In order to create nanoscale pores, magnesium oxide (MgO) powders were added as a pore-forming agent during the mixing of these carbon precursors. The prepared nanoporous carbon fibers derived from the MgO pore-forming agent were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), $N_2$-adsorption isotherms, and a gas-sensing analysis. The SEM images showed that the MgO powders affected the viscosity of the pitch/PAN solution, which led to the production of beaded fibers. The specific surface area of carbon fibers increased from 2.0 to $763.2m^2/g$ when using this method. The template method therefore improved the porous structure, which allows for more efficient gas adsorption. The sensing ability and the response time for the NO gas adsorption were improved by the increased surface area and micropore fraction. In conclusion, the carbon fibers with high micropore fractions created through the use of MgO as a pore-forming agent exhibited improved NO gas sensitivity.

• Current Optics and Photonics
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• v.1 no.1
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• pp.12-16
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• 2017

Color sensor systems based on M13 bacteriophage are being considerably researched. Although many studies on M13 bacteriophage-based chemical sensing of TNT, endocrine disrupting chemicals, and antibiotics have been undertaken, the fundamental physical and chemical properties of M13 bacteriophage-based nanostructures require further research. A simple M13 bacteriophage-based colorimetric sensor was fabricated by a simple pulling technique, and M13 bacteriophage was genetically engineered using a phage display technique to exhibit a negatively charged surface. Arrays of structurally and genetically modified M13 bacteriophage that can determine the polarity indexes of various alcohols were found. In this research, an M13 bacteriophage-based color sensor was used to detect various types of alcohols, including methanol, ethanol, and methanol/butanol mixtures, in order to investigate the polarity-related property of the sensor. Studies of the fundamental chemical sensing properties of M13 bacteriophage-based nanostructures should result in wider applications of M13 bacteriophage-based colorimetric sensors.

• Journal of Sensor Science and Technology
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• v.32 no.5
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• pp.259-266
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• 2023

The use of various adulterants and harmful chemicals is rapidly increasing in various sectors such as agriculture, food, and pharmaceuticals, and they are also present in our surroundings in the form of pollutants. The regular and repeated intake of harmful chemicals often adversely affects human health. The prolonged exposure of living beings to such adverse components can lead to severe health complications. To avoid the unlimited utilization of these chemical components, a sensing technology that is sensitive and reliable for low-concentration detection is beneficial. Surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) is a powerful method for identifying low-range concentrations of analytes, leading to great applications in molecular identification, including various diagnostic biomarkers. SERS in chemical, gas, and biological sensors can be an excellent approach in the sensing world to achieve rapid and multiple-analyte detection, leading to a new and efficient approach in healthcare monitoring.

• Bulletin of the Korean Chemical Society
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• v.33 no.6
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• pp.1993-1997
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• 2012

Mg-doped ZnO one-dimensional (1D) nanostrutures were synthesized by using a thermal evaporation technique. The morphology, crystal structure, and sensing properties of the Mg-doped ZnO nanostructures functionalized with Pt to CO gas at $100^{\circ}C$ were examined. The diameters of the 1D nanostructures ranged from 80 to 120 nm and that the lengths were up to a few tens of micrometers. The gas sensors fabricated from multiple networked Mg-doped ZnO nanowires functionalized with Pt showed enhanced electrical response to CO gas. The responses of the nanowires were improved by approximately 70, 69, 111, and 81 times at CO concentrations of 10, 25, 50, and 100 ppm, respectively. Both the response and recovery times of the nanowire sensor for CO gas sensing were not nearly changed by Pt functionalization. It also appeared that the Mg doping concentration did not influence the sensing properties of ZnO nanowires as strongly as Pt-functionalization. In addition, the mechanism for the enhancement in the CO gas sensing properties of Mg-doped ZnO nanowires by Pt functionalization is discussed.

• Journal of Sensor Science and Technology
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• v.28 no.2
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• pp.76-80
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• 2019

The characteristics of a titanium oxide layer prepared using a plasma electrolytic oxidation (PEO) process were investigated, using an extended gate ion sensitive field effect transistor (EG-ISFET) to confirm the layer's capability to react with hydrogen ions. The surface morphology and element distribution of the PEO-processed titanium oxide were observed and analyzed using field-emission scanning-electron microscopy (FE-SEM) and energy-distribution spectroscopy (EDS). The titanium oxide prepared by the PEO process was utilized as a hydrogen-ion sensing membrane and an extended gate insulator. A commercially available n-channel enhancement MOS-FET (metal-oxide-semiconductor FET) played a role as a transducer. The responses of the PEO-processed titanium oxide to different pH solutions were analyzed. The output drain current was linearly related to the pH solutions in the range of pH 4 to pH 12. It was confirmed that the titanium-oxide layer prepared by the PEO process could feasibly be used as a hydrogen-ion-sensing membrane for EGFET measurements.

• Journal of Biomedical Engineering Research
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• v.31 no.6
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• pp.464-471
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• 2010

Compressed sensing can be used to reduce scan time or to enhance spatial resolution in MRI. It is now recognized that compressed sensing works well in reconstructing magnitude images if the sampling mask and the sparsifying transform are well chosen. Phase images also play important roles in MRI particularly in chemical shift imaging and magnetic resonance electrical impedance tomography (MREIT). We reconstruct MRI phase images using the compressed sensing technique. Through computer simulation and real MRI experiments, we reconstructed phase images using the compressed sensing technique and we compared them with the ones reconstructed by conventional Fourier reconstruction technique. As compared to conventional Fourier reconstruction with the same number of phase encoding steps, compressed sensing shows better performance in terms of mean squared phase error and edge preservation. We expect compressed sensing can be used to reduce the scan time or to enhance spatial resolution of MREIT.

• KSBB Journal
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• v.24 no.1
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• pp.106-112
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• 2009

An optical sensing membrane has been fabricated to measure the concentration of dissolved oxygen(DO) and pH value simultaneously. It has employed HPTS as a pH sensitive dye and a ruthenium(II) complex as a DO sensitive dye. The sensing membrane has been applied to wells in a 24-well microtiter plate. Using the 24-well microtiter plate the concentrations of dissolved oxygen and pH values have been on-line monitored during the cultivations of E.coli DH5${\alpha}$, B.cereus 318 and P.pastoris X-33. On-line monitoring of DO and pH in microorganism cultivation processes showed good performance of the sensing membrane containing 5 mM HPTS and 2 or 5 mg/mL Rudpp.

• Carbon letters
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• v.12 no.1
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• pp.21-25
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• 2011

A novel electrode for an NO gas sensor was fabricated from electrospun polyacrylonitrile fibers by thermal treatment to obtain carbon fibers followed by chemical activation to enhance the activity of gas adsorption sites. The activation process improved the porous structure, increasing the specific surface area and allowing for efficient gas adsorption. The gas sensing ability and response time were improved by the increased surface area and micropore fraction. High performance gas sensing was then demonstrated by following a proposed mechanism based on the activation effects. Initially, the pore structure developed by activation significantly increased the amount of adsorbed gas, as shown by the high sensitivity of the gas sensor. Additionally, the increased micropore fraction enabled a rapid sensor response time due to improve the adsorption speed. Overall, the sensitivity for NO gas was improved approximately six-fold, and the response time was reduced by approximately 83% due to the effects of chemical activation.