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• Elia, A
• Di Franco, C
• Spagnolo, V
• Lugarà, P
• Scamarcio, G
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• Elia, A
• Di Franco, C
• Spagnolo, V
• Lugarà, P
• Scamarcio, G
• [+] on PubMed
• Elia, A
• Di Franco, C
• Spagnolo, V
• Lugarà, P
• Scamarcio, G

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Sensors 2009, 9(4), 2697-2705; doi:10.3390/s90402697

Article

Quantum Cascade Laser-Based Photoacoustic Sensor for Trace Detection of Formaldehyde Gas

Angela Elia* , Cinzia Di Franco, Vincenzo Spagnolo, Pietro Mario Lugarà*  and Gaetano Scamarcio

Dipartimento Interateneo di Fisica “M. Merlin”, Università and Politecnico of Bari, and Laboratorio Regionale CNR-INFM “LIT3”, Bari, I-70126, Italy

* Authors to whom correspondence should be addressed.

Received: 6 February 2009; in revised form: 2 April 2009 / Accepted: 16 April 2009 / Published: 16 April 2009

(This article belongs to the Special Issue State-of-the-Art Sensors Technology in Italy)

Download PDF Full-Text [297 KB, uploaded 16 April 2009 14:16 CEST]

Abstract: We report on the development of a photoacoustic sensor for the detection of formaldehyde (CH₂O) using a thermoelectrically cooled distributed-feedback quantum cascade laser operating in pulsed mode at 5.6 mm. A resonant photoacoustic cell, equipped with four electret microphones, is excited in its first longitudinal mode at 1,380 Hz. The absorption line at 1,778.9 cm^-1 is selected for CH₂O detection. A detection limit of 150 parts per billion in volume in nitrogen is achieved using a 10 seconds time constant and 4 mW laser power. Measurements in ambient air will require water vapour filters.

Keywords: Formaldehyde; Quantum cascade laser; Photoacoustic spectroscopy; Trace gas sensor

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