Ethylene is the smallest ripening hormone in plants. In their Communication (DOI: 10.1002/anie.201201042), T. M. Swager et al. show that from a simple mixture of single-walled carbon nanotubes and a copper(I) complex, chemoresistive devices can be prepared that are highly sensitive and selective to sub-ppm concentrations of ethylene. The utility of the sensor was demonstrated by following ripening stages in different fruits.
