Nonthermal Current-Stimulated Desorption of Gases from Carbon Nanotubes

Abstract

Cold Refreshment Carbon nanotubes can function as chemical sensors by virtue of the shifts in resistance or capacitance induced when small molecules bind to their surfaces. Unfortunately, many molecules bind rather tightly, impairing reuse of such sensors. Salehi-Khojin et al. (p. 1327 ) showed that one solution to this problem was to run a strong current through the nanotubes after the detection event, which induced desorption of organic molecules. By comparison, thermal (as opposed to current-driven) desorption required heating to temperatures that irreparably degraded the sensor structure.