US 12,345,669 B2
Ethylene sensor
Timothy M. Swager, Newton, MA (US); Birgit Esser, Cambridge, MA (US); and Jan M. Schnorr, Cambridge, MA (US)
Assigned to Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA (US)
Filed by MASSACHUSETTS INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY, Cambridge, MA (US)
Filed on Aug. 18, 2017, as Appl. No. 15/681,313.
Application 15/681,313 is a continuation of application No. 13/832,430, filed on Mar. 15, 2013, granted, now 9,739,737.
Claims priority of provisional application 61/614,834, filed on Mar. 23, 2012.
Prior Publication US 2018/0067065 A1, Mar. 8, 2018
This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.
Int. Cl. G01N 27/12 (2006.01); G01N 33/00 (2006.01)
CPC G01N 27/12 (2013.01) [G01N 27/125 (2013.01); G01N 33/0047 (2013.01); G01N 27/127 (2013.01); Y10T 29/49117 (2015.01); Y10T 436/216 (2015.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A sensor comprising:
a conductive material including a carbon nanotube, the conductive material being in electrical communication with at least two electrodes;
a transition metal complex including a transition metal, a multidentate ligand, and a ligand including a thiol coordinated to the transition metal and associated with the carbon nanotube, the transition metal complex being mixed with the conductive material, the transition metal complex capable of forming a stable complex with ethylene and interacting with the carbon nanotube and the conductive material via the ligand including the thiol, and
the at least two electrodes being configured to measure an electrical property between the at least two electrodes in an analyte-free state such that an interaction between the transition metal complex and an analyte results in a change of the measurable electrical property when the sensor is exposed to the analyte.
 
16. A method of sensing an analyte, comprising:
exposing a sensor to a sample, the sensor including:
at least two electrodes;
a conductive material comprising a carbon-carbon multiple bond moiety, the conductive material being in electrical communication with the at least two electrodes; and
a transition metal complex including a transition metal, a multidentate ligand, and a ligand including a thiol coordinated to the transition metal the transition metal complex associated with the carbon-carbon multiple bond moiety via the ligand including the thiol, the transition metal complex capable of forming a stable complex with ethylene; and
measuring an electrical property at the at least two electrodes of the sensor when exposed to an analyte.