‘E-nose’ sniffs out mixtures of volatile organic compounds

As paint thinner, ink and adhesives dry, they can release volatile organic compounds (VOCs), which can negatively impact health. Typically, one of those VOCs is xylene, which exists as three isomers with the same elements but slightly different arrangements. Because the isomers are so similar, they’re hard to monitor separately. Now, researchers reporting in ACS Sensors have developed an electric nose (“e-nose”) with porous metal-organic framework (MOF) films that can accurately distinguish xylene isomer mixtures.As paint thinner, ink and adhesives dry, they can release volatile organic compounds (VOCs), which can negatively impact health. Typically, one of those VOCs is xylene, which exists as three isomers with the same elements but slightly different arrangements. Because the isomers are so similar, they’re hard to monitor separately. Now, researchers reporting in ACS Sensors have developed an electric nose (“e-nose”) with porous metal-organic framework (MOF) films that can accurately distinguish xylene isomer mixtures.Read More