Sensors for Environment, Health and Security ─ Advanced Materials and Technologies

The growing concern worldwide for air pollution, biological threats and security issues has led to an increasing demand for sensors in multiple application areas, thus calling for a fast development of small, reliable, inexpensive sensors which can be easily integrated in various devices and equipments. Research efforts worldwide span diverse areas, including new materials such as nanotubes and nanofibers, miniaturization of electronics through nanotechnology, or integration of several sensors in artificial noses, to name only a few. Most of the time, the research results reported at international conferences are scattered over different disciplines, such as materials science, electronic engineering, optics and photonics, nanotechnology, biochemistry and medicine, information technology, etc., thus making it difficult to get a clear picture of the advances in the sensing field.The present book covers the main topics presented at the NATO Advanced Study Institute on "Sensors for Environment, Health and Security: Advanced Materials and Technologies" which was held in Vichy (France) on September 16-27, 2007. The book aims at providing the reader with the most recent knowledge in sensing materials and sensor technologies, encompassing different kinds of materials and technologies (semiconductors, photonics, self-assembling, biology, etc). The detection of various analytes or signals (air pollution, biodetection, nuclear detection, etc) finds applications in environmental monitoring, health monitoring and seirity. The underlying physical and chemical phenomena responsible for the detection mechanisms, the most advanced technologies for sensor processing and fabrication, and the future challenges to be taken up are addressed in details by outstanding experts from the European Union, Russia and the USA.