Mixed-matrix composite integrated fiber optic CO2 sensor
20230039427 · 2023-02-09
Inventors
- Ki-Joong Kim (Pittsburgh, PA, US)
- Jeffrey T. Culp (Wexford, PA, US)
- James E. Ellis (Pittsburgh, PA, US)
Cpc classification
C08K2003/343
CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
G02B6/02395
PHYSICS
B82Y20/00
PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
Y02C20/40
GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
C03C25/47
CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
C03C3/06
CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
B82Y35/00
PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
International classification
C03C13/04
CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
C03C25/47
CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
Abstract
Novel chemical sensors that improve detection and quantification of CO.sub.2 are critical to ensuring safe and cost-effective monitoring of carbon storage sites. Fiber optic (FO) based chemical sensor systems are promising field-deployable systems for real-time monitoring of CO.sub.2 in geological formations for long-range distributed sensing. In this work, a mixed-matrix composite integrated FO sensor system was developed that reliably operates as a detector for gas-phase and dissolved CO.sub.2. A mixed-matrix composite sensor coating on the FO sensor comprising plasmonic nanocrystals and zeolite embedded in a polymer matrix. The mixed-matrix composite FO sensor showed excellent reversibility/stability in a high humidity environment and sensitivity to gas-phase CO.sub.2 over a large concentration range. The sensor exhibited the ability to sense CO.sub.2 in the presence of other geologically relevant gases, which is of importance for applications in geological formations. A prototype FO sensor configuration which possesses a robust sensing capability for monitoring dissolved CO.sub.2 in natural water was demonstrated. Reproducibility was confirmed over many cycles, both in a laboratory setting and in the field.
Claims
1. An optical fiber comprising a coating composition disposed on the exterior of a glass fiber; and wherein the coating composition comprises an optical response enhancer and sorbent particles disposed in a polymer.
2. The optical fiber of claim 1 wherein the glass fiber is at least 90 wt % silica, or at least 99 wt % silica.
3. The optical fiber of claim 1 wherein the optical response enhancer is a plasmonic nanocrystal.
3. (canceled)
4. The optical fiber of claim 1 wherein the optical response enhancer comprises ITO.
5. (canceled)
6. The optical fiber of any of the above claims wherein the coating has a refractive index within the range of 1.30 to 1.70 or 1.30 to 1.60.
7. The optical fiber of claim 1 wherein the optical response enhancer is a light absorbing material that, when present in the polymer matrix exhibits at least two times greater absorption, or at least 5 times, or in the range of 2 to ten times or five to ten times greater absorption of the light reflected from the sensor coating at the measurement wavelength as compared to the absorption from the coating without enhancer and as compared to the coating in the absence of CO.sub.2 and CH.sub.4.
8. The optical fiber of claim 1 wherein the optical response enhancer comprises plasmonic nanocrystals having at least one dimension in the size range of 1 nm to 30 nm or 2 nm to 20 nm, or 5 to 20 nm, or 20 to 200 nm based on the smallest diameter of the particles.
9. (canceled)
10. The optical fiber of claim 1 wherein the length of the coating is 5 to 10 cm.
11. The optical fiber of claim 1 wherein the sorbent particles comprise a zeolite.
12. (canceled)
13. The optical fiber of claim 1 wherein the optical enhancer comprises plasmonic nanocrystals and wherein the sorbent mass average particle size of the sorbent is larger than the mass average particle size of the plasmonic nanocrystals.
14. (canceled)
15. The optical fiber of claim 1 wherein the polymer comprises a polysiloxane.
16. The optical fiber of claim 1 wherein the coating composition comprises 0.5-20 wt % or 1% to 20 wt %, or 2 to 10 wt % plasmonic nanocrystals; at least 5 wt % adsorbent, or 5 to 80 wt %, or 10 to 70 wt %, or 40 to 80 wt % adsorbent; and at least 10 wt % polymer, or 10 to 90 wt %, or 20 to 90 wt %, or 20 to 70 wt %, or 30 to 70 wt % polymer.
17. The optical fiber of claim 1 wherein the optical enhancer comprises plasmonic nanocrystals and wherein at least 50 mass % or at least 80 mass % of the nanocrystals have sizes in the range of 5 to 40 nm, or 5 to 25 nm, or 6 to 20 nm.
18. (canceled)
19. A coating composition comprising: plasmonic nanocrystals and sorbent particles disposed in a polymer.
20. The coating composition of claim 19 wherein the wherein the sorbent particles comprise a zeolite.
21. The coating composition of claim 19 wherein optical response enhancer is a light absorbing material that, when present in the polymer matrix which coats an optical fiber to a thickness of 5 μm, exhibits at least two times greater absorption, or at least 5 times, or in the range of 2 to ten times or five to ten times greater absorption of the light absorbed from the sensor coating at the measurement wavelength as compared to the absorption from the coating without enhancer and as compared to the coating in the absence of CO.sub.2 and CH.sub.4.
22. A sensor, comprising: a glass fiber coated with the coating composition of claim 19.
23. The sensor of claim 22 wherein the glass fiber is disposed in a metal or plastic tube having a plurality of holes formed along the length of the tube.
24-26. (canceled)
27. A method of making a composite, comprising: mixing a suspension of polymer, optical enhancer and absorbent particles; applying the suspension to a substrate, and curing or setting the polymer.
28. The method of claim 27 wherein the optical enhancer comprises plasmonic nanocrystals, and wherein the substrate is a glass fiber.
29. (canceled)
30. (canceled)
31. A method of measuring an amount of a molecule of interest, comprising: exposing the sensor of any of the above claims to the molecule of interest, and measuring light transmission through the fiber.
32-33. (canceled)
Description
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0026]
[0027]
[0028]
[0029]
[0030]
[0031]
[0032]
[0033]
[0034]
DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS/EXAMPLES
[0035] Synthesis of indium-tin oxide (ITO) nanocrystals (NCs). ITO NCs were synthesized by using a hot-injection method reported elsewhere..sup.45 Briefly, a solution of oleylamine (10 mmol) and octadecene (5 mL) was injected into a solution containing of In(Ac).sub.3 (1.08 mmol), Tin(II) 2-ethylhexanoate (0.12 mmol), 2-ethylhexanoic acid (3.6 mmol), and octadecene (10 mL) in a three-neck flask at 240° C., and then heated to 290° C. After 2 hours reaction, the ITO NCs were separated by centrifuging and then washed with toluene. The final product was redispersed in toluene (8 mL). An ITO content of 1.05 wt % in toluene was confirmed from Thermogravimetric Analyzer.
[0036] Hydrophobic ZSM-5 nanoparticles. Hydrophobic ZSM-5 (MZ5-1500p, Si/Al=1500) was purchased from ACS Material. Before mixing with PDMS solution, the surface of the ZSM-5 particles was modified with isobutyl siloxane to help suspend the particles in hexane. ZSM-5 (2.5 g) and isobutyltriethoxysilane (100 mg) were added into heptane (20 mL) and then refluxed overnight. The NCs were separated by centrifuging and then washed sequentially with heptane and ethanol.
[0037] Cross-linked polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) solution. The Sylgard-184 silicone elastomer and curing agent were mixed together in a 10:1 ratio. This mixture was stirred and then placed on a 100° C. hot plate for 20 minutes. Afterwards, n-hexane was added to the cooled mixture to achieve a 2 wt % PDMS solution and the solution was stirred for an hour.
[0038] Mixed-matrix precursor solution. Precursor suspension was prepared by mixing ITO, ZSM-5 and PDMS solution. ZSM-5 (26 mg) was firstly added into the 2 wt % cross-linked PDMS solution in hexane (2 mL), and then 0.6 mL ITO solution was added. When this suspension is cast as a film, it should be 6% ITO, 50% ZSM-5 and 44% PDMS (wt %). Before application of the coating, the precursor suspension was sonicated for 30 minutes to ensure a good dispersion of suspended particles.
[0039] Synthetic acid mine drainage (AMD) water. Al.sub.2(SO.sub.4).sub.3.18H.sub.2O (0.58 g L.sup.−1), CaSO.sub.4.2H.sub.2O (0.75 g L.sup.−1), MnSO.sub.4.H.sub.2O (0.07 g L.sup.−1), MgCl.6H.sub.2O (0.67 g L.sup.−1), NaCl (0.28 g L.sup.−1), NaHCO.sub.3 (0.15 g L.sup.−1), KCl (0.06 g L 1), and FeCl.sub.3.6H.sub.2O (0.01 g L.sup.−1) were first dissolved in DI water (500 mL) and then pH was adjusted to 3.5 using H.sub.2SO.sub.4, followed by bringing the solution to 1 L final volume with DI water.
[0040] Films on substrates. Quartz crystal microbalance (QCM) substrate: QCM substrate was obtained from INFICON (MAXTEK 5 MHz polished Ti/Au, one-inch diameter). QCM substrate was first cleaned by successive sonications in acetone, methanol, and DI water. A mixed matrix solution was dropped on the center of the quartz disc and then spin-coated at 2000 rpm for 10 seconds. The film was finally cured at 120° C. for 2 hours in air. Fiber optic (FO) substrate: Optical multimode fibers with 105 m core diameter were used (FG105LCA, 0.22 NA, Thorlabs, Inc.). Before applying the NC.sub.PZ.sub.HPP.sub.CL coating, the polymer jacket of the FO was removed, and the fiber was etched (˜5 cm in length) in a buffered oxide hydrofluoric acid etchant solution for 90 minutes. It was then cleaned by immersing in DI water. Precursor solution was coated on an etched FO by dragging upward (1 cm s.sup.−1) a generated droplet at the tip of the micropipette, and drying at room temperature. The thickness of the nanocomposite films was controlled by repeating the above process. The film was finally cured at 120° C. for 2 hours in air.
[0041] Sensor testing of QCM and FO sensors in dry and wet conditions. Sensor measurements were performed in a gas cell at room temperature and atmospheric pressure. The gas cell inlet was connected to an automated gas delivery system with a total flow rate of 100 mL min.sup.−1. Different CO.sub.2 gas concentrations were obtained by controlling the flow rates of pure N.sub.2 and CO.sub.2 gas. Before measurement, the gas cell was first purged with pure N.sub.2 gas for 60 minutes. In order to achieve different humidity levels (˜45% or ˜95% RH) in the gas chamber, the dry N.sub.2 gas stream was run through a bubbler filled with saturated potassium carbonate or DI water at atmospheric condition. A selectivity test of the NC.sub.PZ.sub.HPP.sub.CL FO sensor was performed with 20% doses of dry CO.sub.2, O.sub.2, H.sub.2, and CH.sub.4 diluted in N.sub.2 with 100% N.sub.2 flowed between each exposure. Note that all sensing tests were performed without pretreatments such as heating and/or evacuating under vacuum.
[0042] QCM sensor test: The QCM device was held in an Inficon (Maxtek) crystal holder with pogo pins, which was connected to an Inficon (Maxtek) RQCM-QCM research system. The frequency change was recorded with MaxTek RQCM data-logger software.
[0043] FO sensor test: Optical transmittance was recorded by connecting one end of the fiber to a spectrometer (JAZ, Ocean Optics). The other end of the fiber was connected to a broad-band tungsten halogen light source (DH-2000-BAL, Ocean Optics). 100% transmission as reference spectrum was collected with pure N.sub.2 gas flow in a gas cell.
[0044] Sensor testing in aqueous solutions using double jacket membrane system. A schematic diagram of the experimental set-up for testing the NC.sub.PZ.sub.HPP.sub.CL FO sensor in aqueous solution is shown in Figure S1. A broad-band tungsten halogen lamp was used as light source (LS-1, Ocean Optics). Optical power change was recorded by a power meter (PM 100D, Thorlabs) equipped with a photodiode (S151C, λ=400-1100 nm, P.sub.max=20 mW, Thorlabs, Inc.), which was connected to a computer for logging the data. Dry ice was used as a CO.sub.2 source to control the total concentration of dissolved CO.sub.2 in testing waters. First, testing water (either DI water or synthetic AMD water) was fed into the commercial IR CO.sub.2 sensor (GM70 Handheld CO.sub.2 Meter, Vaisala) in a flow-through cell, and then into a flow-through cell with the FO sensor. The IR sensor probe and FO sensors were encased within a liquid water impermeable double jacket polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) membrane (density: 1.13 g cm.sup.3, outer diameter: 6.7 mm, wall thickness: 0.28 mm, International Polymer Engineering). A perforated stainless-steel tube (⅛ inch) was used to support the FO sensor assembly. The testing water was delivered by a peristaltic pump (Barnant L/S portable sampler) at a flow rate of 500 mL min.sup.−1.
[0045] Sensor testing in the field. The configuration of the FO sensor system described above was modified to run on battery power for field testing (Figure S2). For the practical application, a portable FO sensor was tested with shallow groundwater from a monitoring well at the NETL Pittsburgh site, Pennsylvania (lat. 40° 18′ 25.0″ N, long. 790 58′ 40.2″ W) and with coal mine drainage at Lambert Run, Clarksburg, W. Va. (lat. 390 19′ 43.0″ N, long. 800 21′ 59.3″ W). The testing waters were introduced directly into the flow-through system without any purification for real-time monitoring of dissolved CO.sub.2. The sensor testing at the field sites were performed in October-November 2020.
[0046] On-line monitoring in the field. To realize the real-time online monitoring functions in the field, the FO sensor system was modified without a pumping part for low-power operation. The two FO cables were inserted into high-density PFTE tubing (⅛ inch), and the ends of the FO cables were spliced with 5 cm lengths of coreless fiber (125 m core diameter, FG125LA, Thorlabs, Inc.). The coreless FO part was coated with the NC.sub.PZ.sub.HPP.sub.CL composite, which was then encased by a perforated stainless-steel tube (⅛ inch) within a PTFE membrane. The FO sensor together with a commercial IR sensor were lowered into the NETL Pittsburgh site well (480 feet depth). The optical power change was recorded by a power meter equipped with a photodiode, which was connected to a data logger (X2 Environmental Data Loggers, NexSens Technology, Inc.). The data logger was operated by a rechargeable battery powered with solar panels and the data was transferred through cellular lines from the field to the website. The experimental set-up for on-line monitoring with a wireless communication system is shown in Figure S3. The sensor testing at the NETL Pittsburgh well was performed in March 2022.
[0047] Results and Discussion
[0048] Preparation and Characterization of Mixed-Matrix NC.sub.PZ.sub.HPP.sub.CL Composites on FO Sensor Platform. The first step in the process toward mixed-matrix NC.sub.PZ.sub.HPP.sub.CL composites for CO.sub.2 sensing is the colloidal synthesis of the plasmonic NCs (NC.sub.P). Mono-dispersed ITO NCs were synthesized, yielding an average size of 12 nm in diameter (
[0049] Water Vapor Mitigation of NC.sub.PZ.sub.HPP.sub.CL Composite. For real-world applications, the sensors should be able to detect CO.sub.2 and remain stable at high humidity levels. With this application in mind, the ability of the mixed-matrix NC.sub.PZ.sub.HPP.sub.CL sensor material to efficiently mitigate the effects of water vapor was investigated. QCM sensors, a highly sensitive and simple transduction platform, detects mass variations per unit area by measuring the change in frequency of a quartz crystal resonator..sup.47 The QCM sensing platform is therefore useful to evaluate the selectivity of CO.sub.2 gas in humid conditions. The precursor solution was spin-coated onto a QCM substrate and then cured to form a mixed-matrix NC.sub.PZ.sub.HPP.sub.CL composite layer. The response of the frequency was then tracked during different gas cycles at room temperature to study the CO.sub.2 concentration dependence in dry and humid conditions. The gas cycles were switched alternatively between pure N.sub.2 and a mixture of CO.sub.2 in N.sub.2 while maintaining a constant total flow rate.
[0050] The CO.sub.2 concentration dependent frequency change is clearly observed both in dry and humid conditions (
[0051] The CO.sub.2 sensitivity of the NC.sub.PZ.sub.HPP.sub.CL QCM sensor is slightly reduced in humid conditions compared to dry condition: approximately 7% at 45% RH and 16% at 95% RH of the frequency change for 100% CO.sub.2 exposure (
[0052] Optical Responses of NC.sub.PZ.sub.HPP.sub.CL FO Sensor in Dry and Humid Conditions. To evaluate the CO.sub.2 sensing function of FO integrated with NC.sub.PZ.sub.HPP.sub.CL, a commercial multimode fiber with 105 m SiO.sub.2 core and F-doped SiO.sub.2 cladding was used, wherein the cladding was removed before applying the NC.sub.PZ.sub.HPP.sub.CL coating on the surface of the FO platform (see details above). In this way, the RI of the NC.sub.PZ.sub.HPP.sub.CL sensing layer on the FO sensing platform changes upon CO.sub.2 gas adsorption, which in turn, gives rise to a wavelength-dependent variation of the transmitted light intensity (% T), according to the Lorenz-Lorentz law when CO.sub.2 replaces N.sub.2. In order to identify the wavelength range corresponding to the flank of the “peak”, which has been shown to work as a sensor and yield the highest sensitivity, the wavelength-resolved optical transmission of the NC.sub.PZ.sub.HPP.sub.CL FO sensor was measured when the gas environment was switched from pure N.sub.2 to various concentrations of CO.sub.2. The spectra revealed a distinct decrease in transmittance for the wavelength range of 600-650 nm when CO.sub.2 is introduced (
[0053] We hereafter focused on the monochromatic signal at 635 nm (T.sub.max) as the readout, which can easily be applied to a commercial power meter equipped with a photodiode. Next, the thickness dependent optical response of the NC.sub.PZ.sub.HPP.sub.CL FO sensor was investigated. The sensitivity to 100% CO.sub.2 (ΔT.sub.max response) was plotted as a function of NC.sub.PZ.sub.HPP.sub.CL thickness, as shown in
[0054] The NC.sub.PZ.sub.HPP.sub.CL FO sensor was further tested in humid conditions (45% RH and 95% RH) to see the effect of water vapor on the sensitivity and response/recovery times (
[0055] Sensor Testing of NC.sub.PZ.sub.HPP.sub.CL FO Sensor in Aqueous Solution. With excellent sensitivity to CO.sub.2 and repeatability in humid conditions, the NC.sub.PZ.sub.HPP.sub.CL FO sensor was further tested with water solutions to observe its robustness in a more complex environment. A prototype FO sensor configuration was demonstrated for testing in aqueous solution. The NC.sub.PZ.sub.HPP.sub.CL FO sensor is encased within a double jacket PTFE polymer membrane system. This system protects the FO sensor against liquid water agitation while simultaneously allowing only gas phase CO.sub.2 from aqueous dissolved CO.sub.2 to diffuse into the FO sensor and interact with the NC.sub.PZ.sub.HPP.sub.CL sensing layer. Diffusion kinetics of dissolved CO.sub.2 in water and water vapor through a PTFE polymer membrane system were investigated. The responses from different concentrations of acidified bicarbonate solution were monitored by an IR CO.sub.2 sensor. Note that the IR sensor probe was also enveloped within a PFTE membrane to guard against liquid water agitation. As a result, the amount of dissolved CO.sub.2 that permeates through the PTFE membrane showed a linear relationship to the concentration of acidified bicarbonate solution with a correlation coefficient (R.sup.2) of 0.9995. RH increases to as high as 95% by diffusion of water vapor through the PTFE membrane.
[0056] For the FO sensor experiments in aqueous medias, the aqueous CO.sub.2 solution was composed of either DI water or synthetic AMD water. The CO.sub.2 solution was first pumped through the commercial IR sensor chamber, and then through the cell containing the FO sensor enclosed within the double jacket PTFE membrane. The changes in optical response were monitored at 635 nm by using either a spectrometer or power meter with the data logged by computer. In this experiment, dry ice was employed as the CO.sub.2 source in water, where a linear relationship between the CO.sub.2 concentration and the added amount of dry ice in DI water was observed. Cyclic sensing of the NC.sub.PZ.sub.HPP.sub.CL FO sensor to different CO.sub.2 concentrations dissolved in DI water was performed. The CO.sub.2 concentration in the testing water was varied by adding dry ice every 20 minutes and purging with DI water between steps. After 3 hours of testing, the sensor was left under DI water flow overnight, and then the CO.sub.2 concentration was adjusted again for the next cycle.
[0057] To enable the sensor system for field application, a monochromatic readout using inexpensive components such as light emitting diodes and photodiode detectors that consume low power was utilized in the NC.sub.PZ.sub.HPP.sub.CL FO sensor system. This was further corroborated by an extended cycling test in DI water, in which the FO sensor system provided a stable response in agreement with the commercial CO.sub.2 IR spectrometer (
[0058] Field Deployment of NC.sub.PZ.sub.HPP.sub.CL FO Sensor in Real-World Setting. To assess the robustness of the NC.sub.PZ.sub.HPP.sub.CL FO sensor toward natural water, the same experimental protocol as used in the laboratory was conducted for field testing. Note that the configuration of the sensor system was modified to run on batteries for the field testing. The field sites were at NETL Pittsburgh, Pa. and Lambert's Run, W. Va. The testing water was introduced into the sensor system and switched to tap water for baseline. When the signal was stable, the tap water was switched to testing water, and the power dropped about 0.0364 μW, which is associated to 3.1% CO.sub.2, as observed by the IR sensor. A slight change of baseline level that occurs at approximately 40 min was attributed to a small movement of the FO by wind at the field site. To further assess the NC.sub.PZ.sub.HPP.sub.CL FO sensor in more realistic conditions, coal mine drainage water at Lambert Run field was tested, wherein commercial Aquafina® bottled drinking water was used for the baseline. When the testing water was introduced at 20 min, a 0.1044 W power drop corresponding to 12% CO.sub.2 was observed, which is fully recovered by replacing with Aquafina® water. To benchmark the NC.sub.PZ.sub.HPP.sub.CL FO sensor, the response/recovery times was investigated by comparing with a commercial IR sensor. The NC.sub.PZ.sub.HPP.sub.CL FO sensor system shows response/recovery times 4 times faster than the commercial IR sensor. For example, in the ground water test, the measured response/recovery times of the NC.sub.PZ.sub.HPP.sub.CL FO sensor were 5 min and 3 min, respectively, while 30 min and 12 min were observed for IR sensor. Similarly, the response/recovery times with the coal mine drainage water were 3 min and 2 min, respectively. These results were further corroborated by a second introduction of testing water at around 45 min, for which very clear and rapid responses were observed for the NC.sub.PZ.sub.HPP.sub.CL FO sensor. The origin of this accelerating effect in FO sensor is due to the fast diffusion kinetics of dissolved CO.sub.2 from the testing water to the sensing area of the FO surface. In contrast, the IR sensor requires a relatively large sensing volume to be sensed which increases the CO.sub.2 diffusion time. The difference in the response/recovery times between the sites can be assigned to the different flow rates: 200 mL min.sup.−1 and 500 mL min.sup.−1 were flowed for NETL Pittsburgh site and for Lambert Run site, respectively. This indicates that the response/recovery times are associated with how quickly the water sample is flowing onto the NC.sub.PZ.sub.HPP.sub.CL FO sensor. Note that when operating the FO sensor system in the field under battery power, a compromise such as flow rate must be made to determine the optimum system conditions to balance the operational requirements with analytical performance.
[0059] Having successfully assessed the NC.sub.PZ.sub.HPP.sub.CL FO sensor performance, it is important to put the obtained sensing metrics into a wider perspective. To this end, a scatterplot of all of the NC.sub.PZ.sub.HPP.sub.CL FO sensor readouts under controlled laboratory conditions and the CO.sub.2 concentrations measured by the IR sensor, as well as natural water samples were compiled. The combined results indicate that there is a linear relation between the FO sensor and the IR sensor readouts, and that the responses from the two test sites are more in line with the DI water test than with the synthetic AMD water tests. The accuracy of the NC.sub.PZ.sub.HPP.sub.CL FO sensor was evaluated to determine its efficacy when exposed to diverse sources for realistic scenarios. Linear regressions were used to determine the best-fit line between the IR sensor and the corresponding the NC.sub.PZ.sub.HPP.sub.CL FO sensor readout in a range of 0.5˜15% of CO.sub.2. The accuracy of the NC.sub.PZ.sub.HPP.sub.CL FO sensor was then calculated based on the equation as follow:
[0060] References were obtained from linear regressions for each measurement result in DI water or synthetic AMD water. For example, a power drop of 0.02644 μW in DI water and 0.01411 μW in synthetic AMD water corresponding to 3.1% CO.sub.2 were calculated from linear regressions and used as references. The power drop corresponding to 3.1% CO.sub.2 on the FO sensor observed at the NETL Pittsburgh site was 0.0364 μW. As a result, the NC.sub.PZ.sub.HPP.sub.CL FO sensor calibrated with DI water handled higher degrees of accuracy (62% for NETL Pittsburgh site and 98% for Lambert's Run site), but the NC.sub.PZ.sub.HPP.sub.CL FO sensor showed a very low accuracy when it was calibrated with the synthetic AMD water. This implies that the NC.sub.PZ.sub.HPP.sub.CL FO sensor can quantitatively detect dissolved CO.sub.2 in natural waters (e.g., shallow ground water) when calibrated under appropriate conditions. The potential influence of different testing waters on the measurement was further investigated. The observed power readouts corresponding to tap water (2.548 W) or Aquafina® drinking water (2.597 W) for the baseline were closer to DI water (2.629 W) than observed for synthetic AMD water (1.935 W). This is possibly due to the competitive effects of sulfur-bearing gases present in synthetic AMD water, such as H.sub.2S or SO.sub.2, although the diffusion of H.sub.2S through fluorinated polymers such as PTFE is much less favorable than CO.sub.2. Such components cannot be ruled out as potential interference factors in the sulfidic deep waters or eutrophic waters where high concentrations of competitive gases could reduce the sensitivity of CO.sub.2 detection. The overall response and sensitivity to dissolved CO.sub.2 in real water samples remains constant throughout the experiment.
[0061] In addition, a wireless telemetry system was used to transfer the data in real time through cellular lines to provide on-line monitoring capabilities. These concepts were demonstrated with NexSens X2 Environmental Data Loggers (see the details in Materials and Methods section). The optical response of the NC.sub.PZ.sub.HPP.sub.CL FO sensor system to shallow ground water at the NETL Pittsburgh site well was monitored with the data transferred from the field to the website for 3.5 days. As expected, the temperature of the subterranean water remained unchanged with time due to the depth of the test. The on-line monitoring system provided a stable response with 0.0028 μW of power variation, which corresponded to 0.3% CO.sub.2, as calculated from the linear curve. This is in good agreement with the commercial CO.sub.2 IR sensor showing 0.1% variation. The trend in optical power changes is consistent with the concentration of CO.sub.2 measured by the commercial IR sensor.
[0062] The structural stability of the NC.sub.PZ.sub.HPP.sub.CL FO sensors was investigated via SEM and XRD analysis after field testing. The results reveal that the NC.sub.PZ.sub.HPP.sub.CL layer on FO exhibits remarkably constant surface morphology (
[0063] In summary, a mixed-matrix composite integrated FO sensor system was developed and the capability of the FO sensor to detect a wide range of gas-phase and dissolved CO.sub.2 in water for real-time monitoring of CO.sub.2 leakage for carbon storage application was examined. Specifically, a combination of plasmonic NCs and hydrophobic zeolite was employed to enhance the sensitivity of the sensor in humid environments. The FO sensor shows excellent stability and reversibility in the adsorption of CO.sub.2 molecules while effectively mitigating water vapor. The sensing response of the FO sensor remained unchanged even after an entire series of tests in the laboratory and in the field, showing a very robust performance in various environments. The sensor displays the sensitivity and long-term stability required for diverse application areas of CO.sub.2 sensors. While environmental conditions can vary depending on testing sites, the sensor in this work is targeted for monitoring CO.sub.2 migrations associated with sequestered CO.sub.2 where the background gas composition would be expected to remain relatively constant. The PTFE sleeve effectively blocks any interference on the sensor reading from dissolved ions since these ions will not diffuse through PTFE. The PTFE sleeve is also expected to significantly reduce interference from other dissolved gases, such as CH.sub.4 and H.sub.2S, due to their low solubility/diffusivity in the polymer..sup.50,53 As such, the PTFE sleeve not only protects the optical fiber sensor from physical damage, it also acts as a membrane to improve the selectivity of the sensor assembly. This further simplifies the detection of increasing CO.sub.2 concentrations by monitoring changes is equilibrium loading of the adsorbate in the sensor coating relative to the initial baseline. Since the sensor operates on a physisorption principle, temperature will have a measurable effect on the amount of CO.sub.2 adsorbed in the sensor coating, and hence on the sensor response. Temperature also affects the baseline transmission of light within the FO sensor. The use of a blank FO in tandem with a sensor FO can be used to compensate for modulations in transmitted light or power due to fluctuations in the source, detector, and temperature. The blank FO will also provide real time temperature data which can be used to calibrate the sensor response. Accounting for temperature variations at the sensor location will, of course, be more relevant for above ground measurements since subterranean temperatures change little with time below a certain depth. For dissolved aqueous CO.sub.2 monitoring, the correlation between the sensor reading of gas phase CO.sub.2 permeating the PTFE sleeve and the dissolved CO.sub.2 concentration will be affected by the pH of the aquifer. Since U.S. Environmental Protection Agency regulations will require monitoring of changes in the pH of the aquifer, these data will also be available for appropriate calibration of the sensor reading at the monitoring site.
[0064] The use of polymeric binder in the sensing material makes this system suitable for large scale “reel-to-reel” fabrication of mixed-matrix composite NC.sub.PZ.sub.HPP.sub.CL FO sensors since the coating can be deposited directly from suspension in a continuous process. The sensor scheme developed in this work is relatively simple in its design and could be further simplified by using a nearly monochromatic optical measurement system with a light emitting diode as the source and photodiode as the detector.
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