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A special issue of Crystals (ISSN 2073-4352). This special issue belongs to the section "Inorganic Crystalline Materials".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (20 March 2024) | Viewed by 15147

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Special Issue Editors

Dr. Andrew F. Zhou

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Guest Editor

Department of Physics, Indiana University of Pennsylvania, Indiana, PA 15705, USA
Interests: simulation and modeling of nanomaterials; sensor applications; nanophotoics; waveguide devices; diode pumped solid state lasers; nonlinear optics

Dr. Peter X. Feng

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Guest Editor

Department of Physics, University of Puerto Rico, San Juan, PR 00936, USA
Interests: multifunctional nanomaterials; laser plasma deposition; boron nitride nanosheet; ultrananocrystalline diamond 1D devices, synthesis and characterization of nanomaterials; gas sensors; UV sensors

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

1D and 2D nanomaterials with reduced physical dimensions and nanoscale structures promise exciting new opportunities for high-performance sensor applications. This Special Issue is searching for advancements in 1D and 2D nanomaterial unique synthesis and preparation techniques, novel integration routes for new and enhanced functionalities, advanced device simulation, and design strategies for sensing applications. We invite researchers to contribute original work and review manuscripts on the following topics to include, but are not limited to:

Synthesis and device fabrication of 1D and 2D materials including nanotubes, nanowires, nanorods, graphene, graphitic carbon nitride, black phosphorus, 2D organic polymers, 2D transition metal dichalcogenides (TMD), transition metal oxides and low dimensional nitride semiconductors for sensing applications
Surface functionalization or defect engineering for high-performance sensors (e.g., gas, strain, UV, and magnetic field quantum sensing, etc.)
Hybrid systems that incorporate both 1D and 2D materials and heterostructures for biosensing and bioimaging applications.
Hierarchical nanostructures for wearable sensors, health care and environmental monitoring applications
Interrogation of fundamental properties (e.g., electrical, optical, magnetic, mechanical, piezoelectric, chemical, thermal, electrochemical) for next-generation biodetection and lab-on-chip (LOC) sensors

Dr. Andrew F. Zhou
Dr. Peter X. Feng
Guest Editors

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Keywords

1D materials
nanowires
nanobelts
nanofiber
nanotube
2D materials
nanosheets
synthesis and preparation
device fabrication
surface morphology
characterization
functionalization
sensors
wearable sensors
lab-on-chip (LOC) sensors
biosensing and bioimaging
optogenetics
quantum sensors

Published Papers (11 papers)

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Research

21 pages, 10605 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Enhancing Vapochromic Properties of Platinum(II) Terpyridine Chloride Hexaflouro Phosphate in Terms of Sensitivity through Nanocrystalization for Fluorometric Detection of Acetonitrile Vapors

by Sedigheh Barzegar, Mahmood Karimi Abdolmaleki, William B. Connick and Ghodratollah Absalan

Crystals 2024, 14(4), 347; https://doi.org/10.3390/cryst14040347 - 05 Apr 2024

Viewed by 465

Abstract

The vapochromic properties of [Pt(tpy)Cl](PF₆) crystals in the presence of acetonitrile and its effect on the crystal structure as well as the fluorescence spectrum of this complex have already been studied in the past. We synthesized nanocrystals of this compound for the first time, and discussed different parameters and methods that affect nanocrystal structure modulation. The study demonstrates the vapochromic properties of the nanocrystals toward acetonitrile vapor by investigating the morphology and fluorescence spectra of the nanocrystals. Vapochromic studies were conducted on [Pt(tpy)Cl](PF₆) nanocrystals for five cycles of absorption and desorption of acetonitrile, demonstrating shorter response times compared to regular bulk crystals. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue 1D and 2D Nanomaterials for Sensor Applications)

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15 pages, 3416 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Effect of Traps on the UV Sensitivity of Gallium Oxide-Based Structures

by Vera M. Kalygina, Alexander V. Tsymbalov, Petr M. Korusenko, Aleksandra V. Koroleva and Evgeniy V. Zhizhin

Crystals 2024, 14(3), 268; https://doi.org/10.3390/cryst14030268 - 09 Mar 2024

Viewed by 889

Abstract

Resistive metal/β-Ga₂O₃/metal structures with different interelectrode distances and electrode topologies were investigated. The oxide films were deposited by radio-frequency magnetron sputtering of a Ga₂O₃ (99.999%) target onto an unheated sapphire c-plane substrate (0001) in an Ar/O₂ gas mixture. The films are sensitive to ultraviolet radiation with wavelength λ = 254. Structures with interdigital electrode topology have pronounced persistent conductivity. It is shown that the magnitude of responsivity, response time τ_r, and recovery time τ_d are determined by the concentration of free holes p involved in recombination processes. For the first time, it is proposed to consider hole trapping both by surface states N_ts at the metal/Ga₂O₃ interface and by traps in the bulk of the film. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue 1D and 2D Nanomaterials for Sensor Applications)

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9 pages, 3233 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Strain-Modulated Electronic Transport Properties in Two-Dimensional Green Phosphorene with Different Edge Morphologies

by Shuo Li and Hai Yang

Crystals 2024, 14(3), 239; https://doi.org/10.3390/cryst14030239 - 29 Feb 2024

Viewed by 722

Abstract

Based on two-dimensional green phosphorene, we designed two molecular electronic devices with zigzag (Type 1) and whisker-like (Type 2) configurations. By combining density functional theory (DFT) and non-equilibrium Green’s function (NEGF), we investigated the electronic properties of Types 1 and 2. Type 1 exhibits an interesting negative differential resistance (NDR), while the current characteristics of Type 2 show linear growth in the current–voltage curve. We studied the electronic transport properties of Type 1 under uniaxial strain modulation and find that strained devices also exhibit a NDR effect, and the peak-to-valley ratio of device could be controlled by varying the strain intensity. These results show that the transport properties of green phosphorene with different edge configuration are different, and the zigzag edge have adjustable negative differential resistance properties. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue 1D and 2D Nanomaterials for Sensor Applications)

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21 pages, 6970 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Thermal Evaporation Synthesis, Optical and Gas-Sensing Properties of ZnO Nanowires

by Pham Hong Thach and Tran Van Khai

Crystals 2023, 13(9), 1380; https://doi.org/10.3390/cryst13091380 - 17 Sep 2023

Viewed by 1447

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to synthesize and explore the relationship between the optical properties and gas-sensing performance of ZnO nanowires (NWs). Well-aligned ZnO nanowire (NW) arrays were synthesized on a silicon substrate using the thermal evaporation method without any catalyst or additive. The structures, surface morphologies, chemical compositions, and optical properties of the products were characterized using X-ray diffraction (XRD), field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM) together with energy-dispersive spectroscopy (EDS), high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and photoluminescence (PL) spectroscopy, and their gas-sensing properties for NO₂ were examined. The results showed that single-crystalline ZnO NWs with high density grow uniformly and vertically on a Si substrate. The FESEM and TEM images indicate that ZnO NWs have an average diameter of roughly 135–160 nm with an average length of roughly 3.5 μm. The results from XRD confirm that the ZnO NWs have a hexagonal wurtzite structure with high crystalline quality and are highly oriented in the [0001] direction (i.e., along the c-axis). The deconvoluted O 1s peak at ~531.6 eV (29.4%) is assigned to the oxygen deficiency, indicating that the ZnO NWs contain very few oxygen vacancies. This observation is further confirmed by the PL analysis, which showed a sharp and high-intensity peak of ultraviolet (UV) emission with a suppressed deep-level (DL) emission (very high: I_UV/I_DL > 70), indicating the excellent crystalline quality and good optical properties of the grown NWs. In addition, the gas-sensing properties of the as-prepared ZnO NWs were investigated. The results indicated that under an operating temperature of 200 °C, the sensor based on ZnO NWs is able to detect the lowest concentration of 1.57 ppm of NO₂ gas. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue 1D and 2D Nanomaterials for Sensor Applications)

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12 pages, 5259 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Effect of UV and IR Radiation on the Electrical Characteristics of Ga₂O₃/ZnGeP₂ Hetero-Structures

by Vera Kalygina, Sergey Podzyvalov, Nikolay Yudin, Elena Slyunko, Mikhail Zinoviev, Vladimir Kuznetsov, Alexey Lysenko, Andrey Kalsin, Victor Kopiev, Bogdan Kushnarev, Vladimir Oleinik, Houssain Baalbaki and Pavel Yunin

Crystals 2023, 13(8), 1203; https://doi.org/10.3390/cryst13081203 - 02 Aug 2023

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 767

Abstract

The data on electrical and photoelectric characteristics of Ga₂O₃/ZnGeP₂ hetero-structures formed by RF magnetron sputtering Ga₂O₃ target with a purity of (99.99%) were obtained. The samples are sensitive to UV radiation with a wavelength of λ = 254 nm and are able to work offline as detectors of short-wave radiation. Structures with Ga₂O₃ film that was not annealed at 400 °C show weak sensitivity to long-wavelength radiation, including white light and near-IR (λ = 808 and 1064 nm). After annealing in an air environment (400 °C, 30 min), ZnGeP₂ crystals in contact with Ga₂O₃ show n-type conductivity semiconductor properties, the sensitivity of Ga₂O₃/ZnGeP₂ hetero-structures increases in the UV and IR ranges; the photovoltaic effect is preserved. Under λ = 254 nm illumination, the open-circuit voltage is fixed at positive potentials on the electrode to Ga₂O₃, the short-circuit current increases by three orders of magnitude, and the responsivity increases by an order of magnitude. The structures detect the photovoltaic effect in the near-IR range and are able to work offline (remotely) as detectors of long-wavelength radiation. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue 1D and 2D Nanomaterials for Sensor Applications)

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18 pages, 3878 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Synthesis of Up-Conversion Fluorescence N-Doped Carbon Dots with High Selectivity and Sensitivity for Detection of Cu²⁺ Ions

by Yuanyuan Xiong, Mengxiao Chen, Zhen Mao, Yiqing Deng, Jing He, Huaixuan Mu, Peini Li, Wangcai Zou and Qiang Zhao

Crystals 2023, 13(5), 812; https://doi.org/10.3390/cryst13050812 - 13 May 2023

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1745

Abstract

Carbon dots have drawn extensive attention in the detection of metal ions with good stability, excellent biocompatibility and low toxicity. Meanwhile, the quantum yield, response rate and the detection mechanism for Cu²⁺ ions are vital to their development and application. To obtain more selective and sensitive materials to detect Cu²⁺ ions, N-doped carbon dots (DN-CDs) were synthesized by a one-step hydrothermal method using citric acid as the carbon source and diethylenetriamine (DETA) as the nitrogen source. The obtained DN-CDs exhibited stable and intense blue light emission and special near-infrared up-conversion fluorescence at 820 nm, attributed to the effect of introducing N atoms into the structure of carbon dots. Due to the dynamic quenching of the DN-CDs by Cu²⁺ ions, the fluorescence intensity (λex = 820 nm) of DN-CDs was quantitatively decreased in the presence of Cu²⁺ ions. The DN-CDs had a rapid response within 3 min. The DN-CD system exhibited a linear relationship with a concentration range from 2.5 to 50 µM and low detection limit (LOD) of 42 nM. After careful investigation, an interesting conclusion was proposed: N-doped CDs with N/O = 1:1 or higher with relatively abundant N atoms prefer to detect Cu²⁺ ions while those with N/O = 1:2 or lower prefer to detect Fe³⁺ ions. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue 1D and 2D Nanomaterials for Sensor Applications)

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10 pages, 2474 KiB

Open AccessArticle

High-Performance Nanoplasmonic Enhanced Indium Oxide—UV Photodetectors

by Eric Y. Li, Andrew F. Zhou and Peter X. Feng

Crystals 2023, 13(4), 689; https://doi.org/10.3390/cryst13040689 - 17 Apr 2023

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1159

Abstract

In this paper, high-performance UV photodetectors have been demonstrated based on indium oxide (In₂O₃) thin films of approximately 1.5–2 μm thick, synthesized by a simple and quick plasma sputtering deposition approach. After the deposition, the thin-film surface was treated with 4–5 nm-sized platinum (Pt) nanoparticles. Then, titanium metal electrodes were deposited onto the sample surface to form a metal–semiconductor–metal (MSM) photodetector of 50 mm² in size. Raman scattering spectroscopy and scanning electron microscope (SEM) were used to study the crystal structure of the synthesized In₂O₃ film. The nanoplasmonic enhanced In₂O₃-based UV photodetectors were characterized by various UV wavelengths at different radiation intensities and temperatures. A high responsivity of up to 18 A/W was obtained at 300 nm wavelength when operating at 180 °C. In addition, the fabricated prototypes show a thermally stable baseline and excellent repeatability to a wide range of UV lights with low illumination intensity when operating at such a high temperature. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue 1D and 2D Nanomaterials for Sensor Applications)

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11 pages, 2180 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Colorimetric Plasmonic Hydrogen Gas Sensor Based on One-Dimensional Nano-Gratings

by Majid Zarei, Seyedeh M. Hamidi and K. -W. -A. Chee

Crystals 2023, 13(2), 363; https://doi.org/10.3390/cryst13020363 - 20 Feb 2023

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1752

Abstract

Plasmonic hydrogen gas sensors have become widely used in recent years due to their low cost, reliability, safety, and measurement accuracy. In this paper, we designed, optimized, and fabricated a palladium (Pd)-coated nano-grating-based plasmonic hydrogen gas sensor; and investigated using the finite-difference time-domain method and experimental spectral reflectance measurements, the calibrated effects of hydrogen gas exposure on the mechano-optical properties of the Pd sensing layer. The nanostructures were fabricated using DC sputter deposition onto a one-dimensional nano-grating optimized with a thin-film gold buffer to extend the optical response dynamic range and performance stability; the color change sensitivity of the Pd surface layer was demonstrated for hydrogen gas concentrations as low as 0.5 vol.%, up to 4 vol.%, based on the resonance wavelength shift within the visible band corresponding to the reversible phase transformation. Visual color change detection of even the smallest hydrogen concentrations indicated the high sensitivity of the gas sensor. Our technique has potential for application to high-accuracy portable plasmonic sensors compatible with biochemical sensing with smartphones. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue 1D and 2D Nanomaterials for Sensor Applications)

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17 pages, 2272 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Sensing and Detection Capabilities of One-Dimensional Defective Photonic Crystal Suitable for Malaria Infection Diagnosis from Preliminary to Advanced Stage: Theoretical Study

by Sujit Kumar Saini and Suneet Kumar Awasthi

Crystals 2023, 13(1), 128; https://doi.org/10.3390/cryst13010128 - 11 Jan 2023

Cited by 11 | Viewed by 2017

Abstract

In the present research work we have examined the biosensing capabilities of one-dimensional photonic crystals with defects for the detection and sensing of malaria infection in humans by investigating blood samples containing red blood cells. This theoretical scheme utilizes a transfer matrix formulation in addition to MATLAB software under normal incidence conditions. The purpose of considering normal incidence is to rule out the difficulties associated with oblique incidence. We have examined the performance of various structures of cavity layer thicknesses 1000 nm, 2200 nm, 3000 nm and 5000 nm. The comparison between the performances of various structures of different cavity thickness helps us to select the structure of particular cavity thicknesses giving optimum biosensing performance. Thus, the proper selection of cavity thickness is one of the most necessary requirements because it also decides how much volume of the blood sample has to be poured into the cavity to produce results of high accuracy. Moreover, the sensing and detection capabilities of the proposed design have been evaluated by examining the sensitivity, figure of merit and quality factor values of the design, corresponding to optimum cavity thickness. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue 1D and 2D Nanomaterials for Sensor Applications)

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14 pages, 5527 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Modified Electrode with ZnO Nanostructures Obtained from Silk Fibroin for Amoxicillin Detection

by Cristina Dumitriu, Alexandra Constantinescu, Alina Dumitru and Cristian Pȋrvu

Crystals 2022, 12(11), 1511; https://doi.org/10.3390/cryst12111511 - 25 Oct 2022

Viewed by 962

Abstract

Antibiotics are a novel class of contaminants that represent a substantial risk to human health, making their detection an important task. In this study, ZnO nanostructures were prepared starting from Bombyx mori silk fibroin and Zn(NO₃)₂, using thermal treatment. The resulting ZnO structures were characterized using SEM, FT-IR, and XRD. They had a fibrous morphology with a wurtzite crystalline structure, with nanometric dimensions. FT-IR and XRD confirmed silk fibroin’s disappearance after thermal treatment. To prepare modified electrodes for amoxicillin (AMX) antibiotic detection, ZnO nanostructures were mixed with Nafion polymer and drop-casted on an electrode’s surface. Parameters such as drying time and concentration appeared to be important for electrochemical detection. Differential pulse voltammetry (DPV) was sensitive for AMX detection. The measurements revealed that the novel electrode based on ZnO nanostructures embedded in Nafion polymer has potential to be used for AMX electrochemical detection. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue 1D and 2D Nanomaterials for Sensor Applications)

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19 pages, 5032 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Impact of Mo-Doping on the Structural, Optical, and Electrocatalytic Degradation of ZnO Nanoparticles: Novel Approach

by Vanga Ganesh, Mai S. A. Hussien, Ummar Pasha Shaik, Ramesh Ade, Mervat I. Mohammed, Thekrayat H. AlAbdulaal, Heba Y. Zahran, Ibrahim S. Yahia and Mohamed Sh. Abdel-wahab

Crystals 2022, 12(9), 1239; https://doi.org/10.3390/cryst12091239 - 01 Sep 2022

Cited by 6 | Viewed by 1811

Abstract

Pure and Molybdenum (Mo)-doped zinc oxide (ZnO) nanoparticles were prepared by a cost-effective combustion synthesis route. XRD results revealed the decrement in crystallite size of ZnO with an increase in Mo-doping concentration. Optical bandgap (E_g) values were determined using optical reflectance spectra of these films measured in the range of 190–800 nm. The E_g values decreased with increasing the Mo-doping concentration. The dielectric properties of these samples were studied to determine the dielectric constant values. Raman spectra of these samples were recorded to know the structure. These sample absorption spectra were recorded for electrocatalytic applications. All the prepared samples were subjected to electrocatalytic degradation of Rhodamine B. The 0.01 wt% Mo doped ZnO showed 100% in 7 min electrocatalytic degradation. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue 1D and 2D Nanomaterials for Sensor Applications)

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