We have developed a new system for ultra-sensitive detection, identification and long-term digital storage of odor traces using nanofibers

News, 09/07/2020

The University Center for Energy Efficient Buildings of CTU has created a qualitatively new system for collecting odor traces and storing them in selected solvents based on soluble nanofibers. This method enables the simple and effective creation of a non-woven fabric with a large adsorption surface and high porosity, which can be modified to achieve optimal physico-chemical conditions.

The system created by Laboratoří pokročilých biomateriálů ČVUT UCEEB enables the ultrasensitive adhesion of odor molecules to a modified nanofibrous surface, with the subsequent conversion of odor traces into a suitable form for storage and transport or for further chemical analyzes leading to the digitization of the odor trace. These advanced chromatographic or spectroscopic methods will enable the creation of digital odor databases, thereby achieving unlimited storage of information about odor traces at the time of their collection. This new method of collecting odor traces enables the efficient and reproducible capture of a wide range of molecules that make up human odor and, thanks to the controlled solubility, allows simple conversion of molecules into a liquid state and their highly accurate analysis using analytical methods.

The result of the project is, among other things, functional samples and useful samples of an odor sensor for the collection of traces in a fire station and an odor sensor for the collection of breath and gas traces, in which the developed collection system based on functionalized nanofibers was applied. The high efficiency of collecting gaseous odor traces and the possibility of applying gas and liquid chromatography for the analysis of substances increases the information content of the odor trace and its increased reproducibility and evidence in forensic practice, including conversion into a digital record.

Prezentace projektu (PowerPoint)

Prezentace projektu (YouTube)

Research and development within the project Funkcionalizovaná nanovlákna pro sběr, identifikaci a dlouhodobé skladování pachových stop was supported by the Ministry of the Interior of the Czech Republic between 2015 and 2018.