Flame Plasma Electrochemical Sensor for Airborne Particiulates: the Case of Pollen

摘要

A novel method for the detection of airborne particulates, such as pollen, is proposed. It utilizes the plasma and built-in amplification properties of flames through combustion and ionization in the gas phase. We present high-speed potentiometry and imaging results in situ a H_2/O_2/N_2 flame for the combustion of single Bermuda grass and black walnut pollen grains. It is shown that these can be effectively detected, giving signals in the order of 1 V and useful voltage patterns that can potentially enable differentiation between species. The most likely contributing mechanisms to the overall measured voltage are finally discussed giving an insight into the processes involved.