Once again it is news from MIT (it would appear that their extravagant tuition fees are paying off), this time around carbon nanotubes (buzzwords ahoy!) engineered to detect deadly gases such as sarin, mustard gas and VX nerve agents.

Sarin is probably best known for the terrorist attack on the subway system in Tokyo back in the mid 90’s, and it can kill at very low concentrations, so very sensitive detectors are needed if they are to be effective, and it would appear that MIT has delivered. They use a device to rapidly separate the different gases present in the air, before feeding it through the nano-tubes. The gas molecules can then attach themselves to the nanotubes, which changes the way electricity flows through them, thus creating a way to detect specific gases in the air (different molecules will effect the electrical-resistivity of the nanotubes differently).

They had to go one step further though, because as you might imagine, this would pretty much be a one-shot-wonder if the molecules just stayed attached to the nanotubes, needing a fresh batch for every measurement. So they coated the nanotubes with amine type molecules which drastically reduces the time they are attached to the them, releasing the gas molecules within milliseconds. This, coupled with the fact that it only requires 0.0003 Watts to operate, means that you essentially have a continuous detector of deadly gases, that can basically run forever on a basic battery. Not too shabby.