Theoretical study of carbon-nanotube-based gas pressure sensors

We investigate microwave absorption properties of carbon nanotubes under different gas pressures, using a combination of fluid and perturbation theories. We demonstrate that microwave absorption of the system shifts toward high frequency with increasing gas pressure. A linear relationship between resonant frequency shift and gas pressure is also found. The model is useful for designing carbon nanotubes based gas pressure sensors. The change in microwave absorption of the carbon nanotubes due to exposure of different gas pressures is utilized as the principle of this gas sensor. The presented model has also great potential for different types of nanomaterials applications. (C) 2011 American Institute of Physics. [doi:10.1063/1.3525059]