TEHRAN (INIC)- Iranian researchers at Tehran University produced a nanosensor capable of reducing death rates caused by inhalation of poisonous household gas fumes, particularly carbon monoxide.

Sajjad Habibzadeh, Ph.D. student from McGill University, Canada, collaborated with Drs. Yadollah Mortazavi and Abbas Ali Khodadadi from University of Tehran, Iran, on improvement of the gas nanosensors.

"Our research was initially motivated by the dream for minimizing death/injury tolls caused by exposure to venomous gases," Habibzadeh explained to the news service of INIC, adding, "The outcome of this research can be used in all areas where there is a necessity for detection of toxic gases, specially oil and petrochemical industries. However, the target users of this product are from the domestic sector."

Habibzadeh went on to elaborate on the superiorities of the research work over the prior arts, and said, "Solution combustion synthesis method has been used for about 20 years to prepare nanoparticles in a low cost manner using nitrate as precursor. Thus, the method is not applicable to some certain metal oxides such as tin and titanium. We have applied chloride as a more economical replacement in the research work."

"Thanks to nanoparticles of about 4 nm, we have prepared nanosensors which are capable of selective detection of carbon monoxide in presence of methane."

Sensory analyses proved that the aforementioned nanosensor is more sensitive to carbon monoxide than to methane.

For detailed information on the research work please see the Journal of Nanoscience and Nanotechnology, volume 10, pages 6003-6008, 2010.