Novel Photoelectric Sensing Technology for Environmental Monitoring

Many environmental pollutants, contaminants, poisonous gases, and hazardous materials are halogen-based chemicals in which they have chlorine or its family of elements in their molecular compositions. Pollutants in this family include many common chemicals found in the defense and the civilian sectors, e.g., trichloroethylene, polychlorinated biphenyl, and chlorofluorocarbons. These chemicals are often difficult to monitor by traditional electro-magnetic means such as an ion-mobility mass spectrometer; they tend to be fragmented in the detector because of the weak halogen chemical bond. This problem has been recognized by many practitioners in the field. This project will investigate the feasibility of and prepare a preliminary design for a new class of sensing technology based on low-energy electrons generated by photoelectricity for high resolution environmental monitoring. Anticipated Benefits: A new class of photoelectric sensing technology will be developed. It could have large potential for both military and commercial applications. It can be deployed to monitor environmental conditions on the ground, in air, or maritime vehicles where halogen-based contaminants are present.