University of California

Anne M Ruminski

Michael J Sailor

Eun Seon Cho

Jeffrey J Urban

Shaul Aloni

Brian H King

Jay L Snyder

Various embodiments of the invention describe an environmentally stable, and exceptionally dense hydrogen storage (6.5 wt % and 0.105 kg H/L in the total composite, 7.56 wt % in Mg) using atomically thin and gas-selective reduced graphene oxide sheets as encapsulants. Other approaches to protecting reactive materials involve energy intensive introduction of considerable amounts of inactive, protective matrix which compromises energy density. However, these multilaminates are able to deliver exceptionally dense hydrogen storage far-exceeding 2020 DOE target metrics for gravimetric capacity (5.5 wt %), and ultimate full-fleet volumetric targets (0.070 kg H/L) for fuel cell electric vehicles. Methods of stabilizing reactive nanocrystalline metals in zero-valency also has wide-ranging applications for batteries, catalysis, encapsulants, and energetic materials.

Graphene oxide/metal nanocrystal multilaminates the atomic limit for safe, selective hydrogen storage

The invention provides a porous sensor and sensing methods that use a porous sensor with a porous nanostructure having an optical response and having a portion of the porous nanostructure filled with a fiducial marker that is non-reactive to an analyte of interest. In a preferred sensing method, reflectance spectra from both the fiducial marker and reactive portions of the porous structure are acquired simultaneously. The fiducial marker provides an internal reference that permits compensation for humidity, as well as off angle measurements. In addition, simple visual observations can reveal the presence of an analyte, including human observations.

Porous optical sensor with fiducial marker and method for detection of analytes

An embodiment of the invention is a remote sensor that has an optical fiber terminating in a tip. A thin film porous particle having a characteristic optical response that changes in the presence of an analyte is optically coupled and physically attached to the tip of the optical fiber. The optical response of the particle changes in the presence of analyte, and the particle also serves to concentrate analyte. The thin film porous particle can be functionalized toward sensitivity for a predetermined analyte or analytes. A method of remote sensing exposes the remote sensor to an environment to be monitored for analyte. The thin film porous particle is probed with a beam of light. Reflected light is monitored through the optical fiber for a shift in frequency or intensity.

Growing community of inventors

El Cerrito, CA, United States of America

Anne M Ruminski