Nano Hybrids, a spin-off of the University of Amsterdam’s Van ‘t Hoff Institute for Molecular Sciences (HIMS) at Amsterdam Science Park, is turning a discovery from fundamental chemistry into materials for the gas sensor industry. The start-up, founded by associate professor Stefania Grecea and former postdoctoral researcher Olivier Lugier, produces high quality nanoparticles in a sustainable way and now works directly with sensor manufacturers to improve their products.
During a fundamental research project in Grecea’s group at HIMS, researchers found a new route to producing nanoparticles: a single step, solvent free synthesis of advanced inorganic and organic nanoparticles that removes polluting solvents from the process. Recognising its potential, Grecea and Lugier assessed the market opportunity and funding options in a feasibility study with IXA, the university’s knowledge transfer office, and went on to found Nano Hybrids. Lugier, now CEO, built the commercial side of the company through several incubator programmes. In 2023, Nano Hybrids won an Amsterdam Science & Innovation Award in the Environment & Climate category.
Many gas sensors work by measuring electrical resistance. A small piece of metal oxide reacts with the target gas, its resistance changes, and the device raises an alarm once a threshold is crossed. Using the oxide in nanoparticle form greatly increases the contact surface, so much lower gas concentrations can be detected. Nano Hybrids produces particles with a metal core and an oxide shell, which improves conductivity. An additional molecular coating allows their properties to be tuned further.
This tunability helps address cross sensitivity, where a sensor also responds to gases other than its target and produces false readings. A detector that combines several sensors, each made with slightly different nanoparticles, can identify multiple gases at once. According to the company, its production technology could support a single detector built from eight distinct sensors.
Higher sensitivity matters for people working with toxic gases in chemical plants and could enable much earlier detection of wildfires. The larger contact surface also allows sensors to become smaller, in line with the move towards compact air quality monitoring in cars. Beyond gas sensing, Nano Hybrids is exploring biotechnology, where the large surface area and magnetic properties of its particles could support efficient isolation of proteins or DNA in research. Diagnostics is a possible future direction.
Source: University of Amsterdam, Faculty of Science (FNWI) More information: nano-hybrids.com
Copyright: Bram Kloos Photography
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