Remote Detection of Chemical Reactions using Nanoscale Terahertz Communication Powered by Pyroelectric Energy Harvesting

A novel self-powered sensing and communication architecture for remote detection of chemical reactions is proposed. It is assumed that pyroelectric nanogenerators fitted with Graphene-based nano-antennas radiating in the Terahertz band (0.1-10THz) are embedded in the catalyst surface where different types of chemical reactions take place. Each reaction consumes or dissipates some heat, which causes temperature fluctuations on the catalyst surface. A pyroelectric nanogenerator harvests electrical energy from each temperature fluctuation and use the energy to transmit a THz pulse of proportional amplitude. Because different types of reactions dissipate different amounts of energy, we show that a remote receiver can detect the reaction type from the received pulse energy. The accuracy of reaction detection at the receiver, however, is compromised by the noise and attenuation of the THz channel, which makes it difficult to detect reactions from a longer distance. Using simulations, it is shown that dynamic frequency selection within the THz band based on the expected chemical composition of the reactor at any given time can help extending the distance of remote reaction detection.