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Show moreField of the invention: The invention relates to a carbon monoxide detecting sensor using a derivative of Ni(TBC), such as a para-dimethoxyphenyl substituted triene-triyne derivative, to react with carbon monoxide to form a carbon monoxide adduct with a concomitant color change in the derivative compound. Background of the invention: Carbon monoxide remains a significant cause of human fatality because of its colorless and odorless characteristics. The human body has generally a low tolerance for carbon monoxide gas since a concentration of approximately 0.05% over an extended period of time or 1% for a few minutes could prove to be a fatal dosage for humans. Moreover, even a minor amount of carbon monoxide can be detrimental to human health. For example, when 50 parts per million of carbon monoxide are present in air, it may provide an environment that would be impossible to work in for more than 8 hours, while 200 parts per million of carbon monoxide present in the air could cause headaches within 3 or 4 hours. The combination of high toxicity along with the colorless and odorless characteristics of carbon monoxide makes it an extremely lethal gas since its presence in the atmosphere may not be detected by a human before it causes permanent damage. Generally at the start of a fire, all the combustible substances contain carbon and in the initial stage of the fire, carbon monoxide is generally always present. In the initial stage of a fire, combustion is incomplete and carbon monoxide is generally present since there is usually insufficient heat for complete combustion. Thus the detection of carbon monoxide at the initial stage of a fire, could result in quick notification to a person in the area which could result in the saving of lives and the minimizing of property loss. Carbon monoxide can be present in dangerous quantities in a wide variety of different environments such as homes, automobiles, aircraft, submarines, coal mines and the like. The serious threat posed by carbon monoxide, as evidenced by the appreciable annual fatalities due to exposure to an excessive amount of carbon monoxide, has resulted in the development of numerous quantitative procedures for detecting the presence and concentration of carbon monoxide in closed environments. A common type of analytical process would involve the oxidizing of the carbon monoxide to form carbon dioxide with the release heat providing a quantitative indication of the amount of carbon dioxide present. However, such devices required for this detection means are generally quite complex and expensive.U.S. Pat. No. 2,487,077 discloses a carbon monoxide indicating composition, process and detection device.
http://www.google.com/patents?vid=USPAT5132231
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