GNR Sensors Could Monitor Fusion Reactor First Walls Directly

University of Arizona researchers have demonstrated that graphene nanoribbons (GNRs) maintain functionality even after exposure to intense gamma radiation, a key step toward directly monitoring the extreme conditions within fusion reactors. Published in ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces, the findings detail how these nanoscale semiconductors could be integrated into devices functioning as radiation sensors for both fusion energy development and deep space exploration. Unlike traditional silicon-based sensors which degrade under such conditions, the GNRs exhibited a measurable change in electrical…