A team of NSU Physics Department students led by Timur Gareev, invented a promising new humidity sensor. Currently, the device has been developed, a prototype has been created, and a sensor matrix based on graphene and tin oxide nanoparticles has been proposed. The project was a winner at the all-Russian "Student Startup" competition conducted by the Foundation for Assistance to Innovations. The prize is a 1 million ruble grant to support further development. The students are currently improving the prototype taking into account the requirements of potential customers. They plan to complete this work by the end of the year and begin developing the design.
There are no graphene-based humidity sensors today on the world market. Meanwhile, the need for sensors that can withstand extreme temperatures, humidity, and pressure and provide accurate and reliable measurements is very high in high-tech industries such as the chemical industry.
Since 2023, Gareev has been working on the creation of this new promising device with a team that includes NSU Physics Department students Kirill Artishevsky, Oleg Zaitsev, and Alexandra Bogomolova. This cooperation began when some of the students participated in the NSU catalyst acceleration program. Currently, work is being conducted under the supervision of Doctor of Physics and Mathematics Dmitry Smovzh at the Youth Laboratory for the Synthesis of New Materials at the Institute of Thermophysics SB RAS. The Laboratory is optimizing the sensor properties of graphene, that is, creating and selecting a surface that will achieve the highest sensitivity and speed of the sensor.
The main customers for this product will be companies in the chemical, metalworking, oil, agricultural, and food industries.
