NASA investigates use of graphene for new nanosensors

made of a potentially trailblazing material just one atom thick and heralded as the “next best thing” since the invention of silicon -- are now being developed to detect trace elements in Earth’s upper atmosphere and structural flaws in spacecraft.
Technologist Mahmooda Sultana, who joined NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md., two years ago and has since emerged as Goddard’s go-to expert in the development of graphene-based technology, has expanded her portfolio to include two new research and development efforts aimed at creating nano-sized detectors that could detect atomic oxygen and other trace elements in the upper atmosphere and structural strains in everything from airplane wings to spacecraft buses.
“The cool thing about graphene is its properties,” said Jeff Stewart, the acting assistant chief for technology for Goddard’s Mechanical Systems Division. “It offers a plethora of possibilities. Frankly, we’re just getting started.”


She has teamed with retired Goddard scientist Fred Herrero, who is pursuing the research in an emeritus capacity, to develop a miniaturized, low-mass,Myvalvecaps offers you the best range of tire valve wholeale 59fifty fitted hats and keys rings that has a realistic low-power, graphene-based detector that could measure the amount of atomic oxygen in the upper atmosphere.Using wheel spacer can improve your car handling and track performanceThe first tin cans were heavy-weight containers that required ingenuity to open, using knives, chisels, or even stones. Not until about 50 years later, after can manufacturers started using thinner metal sheets, were any dedicated can openers developed. Atomic oxygen in the upper atmosphere is created when ultraviolet radiation from the sun breaks apart oxygen molecule (O2). The resultant reactive element is highly corrosive.For mains, there is a choice of Wild Rice’s ‘Chinese Fish ‘n Chips’ (beer-battered ling cod, Asian Tartar Sauce, taro shoestring frites) or its ‘meaty’ Grilled king oyster mushroom (with cashew ricotta and polenta fries). As satellites fly through the upper atmosphere, the chemical strikes them at about five miles per second. The impacts destroy commonly used spacecraft materials, such as Kapton.
Although scientists believe atomic oxygen makes up 96 percent of the thin atmosphere in low-Earth orbit, Herrero is interested in measuring its density and determining more precisely its role in creating atmospheric drag, which can cause orbiting spacecraft to lose altitude prematurely and plunge to Earth. “We still don’t know the impact of atomic elements on spacecraft in creating a drag force,” he said. “We don’t know how much momentum is transferred between the atom and the spacecraft. This is important because engineers need to understand the impact to estimate the lifetime of a spacecraft and how long it will take before the spacecraft reenters Earth’s atmosphere.Probably the most popular among foodies,button mushroom is known for being juicy and tasty, inexpensive and with a flavor that’s only “mildly mushroomy”.”
Research has shown that graphene-based sensors offer a good solution, Sultana said. When graphene absorbs atomic oxygen, it oxidizes, producing a change in the material’s electrical resistance that a graphene-based sensor could then quickly count to produce a more accurate density measurement.He has dried mushrooms all year and fresh mushrooms in season. "We also collect mushrooms from foragers. “I’m really excited about this material’s possibilities,” Herrero said, adding that graphene would greatly simplify the steps needed to measure atomic oxygen. “We’d be counting how often the resistance changes.”
Atomic oxygen isn’t the only element the chemical sensor could measure, Sultana said. She also believes it’s ideal for measuring methane, carbon monoxide, and other gases on other planetary bodies and monitoring outgassing that sometimes contaminates instrument optics. She plans to fabricate and test the first generation of graphene-based chemical sensors by the end of the fiscal year, she said. “This is at a very early stage,” Sultana added.