Detection of Atmospheric Methyl Mercaptan Using Wavelength Modulation Spectroscopy with Multicomponent Spectral Fitting

Detection of methyl mercaptan (CH3SH) is essential for environmental atmosphere assessment and exhaled-breath analysis. This paper presents a sensitive CH3SH sensor based on wavelength modulation spectroscopy (WMS) with a mid-infrared distributed feedback interband cascade laser (DFB-ICL). Multicomp...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Zhenhui Du, Jiaxin Wan, Jinyi Li, Gang Luo, Hong Gao, Yiwen Ma
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2017-02-01
Series:Sensors
Subjects:
Online Access:http://www.mdpi.com/1424-8220/17/2/379
Description
Summary:Detection of methyl mercaptan (CH3SH) is essential for environmental atmosphere assessment and exhaled-breath analysis. This paper presents a sensitive CH3SH sensor based on wavelength modulation spectroscopy (WMS) with a mid-infrared distributed feedback interband cascade laser (DFB-ICL). Multicomponent spectral fitting was used not only to enhance the sensitivity of the sensor but also to determine the concentration of interferents (atmospheric water and methane). The results showed that the uncertainties in the measurement of CH3SH, H2O, and CH4 were less than 1.2%, 1.7% and 2.0%, respectively, with an integration time of 10 s. The CH3SH detection limit was as low as 7.1 ppb with an integration time of 295 s. Overall, the reported sensor, boasting the merits of high sensitivity, can be used for atmospheric methyl mercaptan detection, as well as multiple components detection of methyl mercaptan, water, and methane, simultaneously.
ISSN:1424-8220