Labex NUMEV 2024 : PolluSens project

The objective of this PolluSens project is to demonstrate the concept of detecting pollutants in water using a nanomechanical mass sensor.

Current pollutant detection technology requires tedious sample preparation to achieve reasonable sensitivity. Here, we will take advantage of the excellent mass sensitivity of a carbon nanotube mechanical resonator to propose a paradigm shift in the way pollutants are detected.

The use of a carbon nanotube mass sensor was impossible until now because there was no suitable technology for introducing water into the nanotube under vacuum. This is now possible thanks to the microfluidic technology we have recently developed.