Airlex

RADICAL is a European Union-funded research project that developed a new approach to detecting atmospheric radicals in real time. Running from 2020 to 2025, the project brought together multidisciplinary partners from Ireland, Germany, the United Kingdom, Greece and Bulgaria, combining expertise in materials science, computer modelling, nanofabrication, nanoelectronics and atmospheric chemistry.

Its central innovation is a small, low-cost electronic sensor designed to detect short-lived atmospheric radicals, including hydroxyl, which plays an important role in daytime air quality. The adaptable sensor platform can also be tuned with different organic layers to selectively detect gases such as nitrogen dioxide, ozone and ammonia. Compact and portable, the technology is intended to support air-quality monitoring and research across varied settings, including hospitals, industrial sites and remote or hazardous locations. RADICAL’s work also features in developments toward wearable air-quality monitors that can provide real-time detection of hazardous gases. By advancing accessible sensing technology, the project aims to help improve the monitoring and modelling of radicals and their role in atmospheric chemistry.