The Royal Institution for the Advancement of Learning/McGill University

Published purpose

The measurement of analyte concentration in aqueous media is typically performed by analytical laboratory methods, which are slow and costly. Applications such as indoor farming, including hydroponics, require a solution that can provide nutrient analyte measurements in real-time, on-site and in a cost-effective manner. Quantum materials, such as graphene and carbon nanotubes (CNTs) where the material is surface, combine quantum transport properties with sensitivity to surface chemistry ideally suited to sensing applications. Consequently, graphene and CNT sensors have enabled many improvements in sensor response. The Project is aimed at developing new concepts in graphene field effect transistor (FET) based sensors to simultaneously achieve the sensitivity, selectivity and stability required for applications such as controlled environment agriculture. This work leverages the expertise, experience and infrastructure of the applicants at McGill University, Université de Montréal, Cégep de SaintJérôme, and the NRC.