New gas-detecting LEDs pass the sniff test

Researchers have developed a new technology that could be used to easily and conveniently test for a large variety of gases — including ones that are emitted from food that has gone off. The new LED technology could be used in consumer electronics, put in phones for everyday experiments and might enable firefighters and plumbers to safely analyse gas leaks. The new method of gas analysis was developed by a number of organisations, including the University of Melbourne, and the work was reported in Nature.

Infrared spectrometers are usually required to analyse gases but they are bulky and expensive laboratory equipment. This new method of detection involves coating LEDs with a thin layer of black phosphorus crystals, which can then be used to analyse gases when tuned in specific ways. A fridge equipped with this technology could sniff out the gases emitted by off food or drink and a notification could then be sent to indicate that the food should be discarded. The new LEDs could also find use in the toolset of plumbers, building managers and firefighters to detect gas leaks or analyse the gas content of dangerous locations.

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