Kinetic selectivity in molecular sieve sensors

ongoing

Detecting and monitoring volatile organic compounds (VOCs) is an important task with applications ranging from disease diagnosis via breath analysis to monitoring exposure to toxic chemicals. However, in all such applications, selectively measuring specific VOCs is challenging due to their low concentrations and the presence of a multitude of interfering compounds. Since current miniature sensors cannot efficiently distinguish between VOCs, there is a need for a novel technology capable of distinguishing a VOC of interest from a complex background. KISSIES will address this challenge by bridging the worlds of porous crystalline materials and sensor technology. For the first time, kinetic selectivity in the tailored nanopores of metal-organic frameworks will be leveraged to mimic nature’s approach to olfaction and enable selective sensing. This way, KISSIES will not only enable cross-fertilization between research fields that have thus far been separated by traditional subject boundaries but also open up perspectives on solving unaddressed real-world challenges. Moreover, the novel methodology that will be developed will have an impact beyond the scope of the project, in domains such as separation technology and adsorption measurements.