New sensor detects low air humidity

Measuring air humidity is important in many areas. However, conventional sensors in hygrometers have so far not been able to determine a very low water vapor content.

Physicists at the University of Duisburg-Essen (UDE) and the Yuri Gagarin Technical University in Russia have now developed a new sensor that detects even the smallest amounts of water molecules that sink to its surface.

The detector is based on highly conductive materials known as MXenes. The sensors are also promising in another respect: they can be used in mass production.