Nanostructured Sensors

A special issue of Nanomaterials (ISSN 2079-4991).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (15 July 2020) | Viewed by 16455

Special Issue Editor

European Institute of Membranes (IEM), University of Montpellier, 34090 Montpellier, France
Interests: atomic layer deposition; photocatalysis; electrospinning; nanomaterials; sensors; thin films
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Sensors are instrumental analytical devices for the selective detection of different analytes. A sensor contains a selective layer that can react with a target molecule and a transducer that can transform this interaction into a physical signal (optical, chemical, electrical, thermal, etc.). Sensor technology has made much progress through the development of nanomaterials. The surface effects in nanostructures caused by the high surface-to-volume ratio are the major factors that have enhanced sensor performance.

This Special Issue will attempt to cover recent advances in nanostructured sensors. Indeed, the nanomaterial’s composition (oxide, metal, etc.) and characteristics such as structure, morphology, crystallinity (together with roughness, porosity, grain size, etc.) and their influence on the sensor performance, including sensor i) sensitivity, ii) selectivity, iii) the time interval required for the measurements, and finally iv) the stability, will be investigated.

Dr. Mikhael Bechelany
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

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Keywords

  • oxide
  • metal
  • thin film
  • nanomaterial
  • sensor
  • biosensor
  • energy
  • health
  • environment

Published Papers (4 papers)

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Research

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15 pages, 1712 KiB  
Article
Thickness Optimization of Highly Porous Flame-Aerosol Deposited WO3 Films for NO2 Sensing at ppb
by Sebastian Abegg, David Klein Cerrejon, Andreas T. Güntner and Sotiris E. Pratsinis
Nanomaterials 2020, 10(6), 1170; https://doi.org/10.3390/nano10061170 - 16 Jun 2020
Cited by 15 | Viewed by 4228
Abstract
Nitrogen dioxide (NO2) is a major air pollutant resulting in respiratory problems, from wheezing, coughing, to even asthma. Low-cost sensors based on WO3 nanoparticles are promising due to their distinct selectivity to detect NO2 at the ppb level. Here, [...] Read more.
Nitrogen dioxide (NO2) is a major air pollutant resulting in respiratory problems, from wheezing, coughing, to even asthma. Low-cost sensors based on WO3 nanoparticles are promising due to their distinct selectivity to detect NO2 at the ppb level. Here, we revealed that controlling the thickness of highly porous (97%) WO3 films between 0.5 and 12.3 μm altered the NO2 sensitivity by more than an order of magnitude. Therefore, films of WO3 nanoparticles (20 nm in diameter by N2 adsorption) with mixed γ- and ε-phase were deposited by single-step flame spray pyrolysis without affecting crystal size, phase composition, and film porosity. That way, sensitivity and selectivity effects were associated unambiguously to thickness, which was not possible yet with other sensor fabrication methods. At the optimum thickness (3.1 μm) and 125 °C, NO2 concentrations were detected down to 3 ppb at 50% relative humidity (RH), and outstanding NO2 selectivity to CO, methanol, ethanol, NH3 (all > 105), H2, CH4, acetone (all > 104), formaldehyde (>103), and H2S (835) was achieved. Such thickness-optimized and porous WO3 films have strong potential for integration into low-power devices for distributed NO2 air quality monitoring. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Nanostructured Sensors)
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12 pages, 2729 KiB  
Article
Effect of Humidity on Light-Activated NO and NO2 Gas Sensing by Hybrid Materials
by Abulkosim Nasriddinov, Marina Rumyantseva, Elizaveta Konstantinova, Artem Marikutsa, Sergey Tokarev, Polina Yaltseva, Olga Fedorova and Alexander Gaskov
Nanomaterials 2020, 10(5), 915; https://doi.org/10.3390/nano10050915 - 09 May 2020
Cited by 23 | Viewed by 3032
Abstract
Air humidity is one of the main factors affecting the characteristics of semiconductor gas sensors, especially at low measurement temperatures. In this work we analyzed the influence of relative humidity on sensor properties of the hybrid materials based on the nanocrystalline SnO2 [...] Read more.
Air humidity is one of the main factors affecting the characteristics of semiconductor gas sensors, especially at low measurement temperatures. In this work we analyzed the influence of relative humidity on sensor properties of the hybrid materials based on the nanocrystalline SnO2 and In2O3 and Ru (II) heterocyclic complex and verified the possibility of using such materials for NO (0.25–4.0 ppm) and NO2 (0.05–1.0 ppm) detection in high humidity conditions (relative humidity (RH) = 20%, 40%, 65%, 90%) at room temperature during periodic blue (λmax = 470 nm) illumination. To reveal the reasons for the different influence of humidity on the sensors’ sensitivity when detecting NO and NO2, electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectroscopy and diffuse reflectance infrared Fourier transform spectroscopy (DRIFTS) investigations were undertaken. It was established that the substitution of adsorbed oxygen by water molecules causes the decrease in sensor response to NO in humid air. The influence of humidity on the interaction of sensitive materials with NO2 is determined by the following factors: the increase in charge carrier’s concentration, the decrease in the number of active sites capable of interacting with gases, and possible substitution of chemisorbed oxygen with NO2 groups. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Nanostructured Sensors)
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17 pages, 7147 KiB  
Article
Synergy Effect of Au and SiO2 Modification on SnO2 Sensor Properties in VOCs Detection in Humid Air
by Dayana Gulevich, Marina Rumyantseva, Evgeny Gerasimov, Nikolay Khmelevsky, Elena Tsvetkova and Alexander Gaskov
Nanomaterials 2020, 10(4), 813; https://doi.org/10.3390/nano10040813 - 23 Apr 2020
Cited by 18 | Viewed by 3844
Abstract
Nanocomposites based on Au- and SiO2-modified SnO2 were studied as sensitive materials for ethanol and benzene detection in dry (RH = 1%) and humid (RH = 20%) air. Modification of SnO2 by amorphous SiO2 (13 mol.%) was effectuated [...] Read more.
Nanocomposites based on Au- and SiO2-modified SnO2 were studied as sensitive materials for ethanol and benzene detection in dry (RH = 1%) and humid (RH = 20%) air. Modification of SnO2 by amorphous SiO2 (13 mol.%) was effectuated by hydrothermal synthesis; modification by Au nanoparticles (1 wt.%) was carried out via impregnation by citrate-stabilized Au sol. The composition of the samples was determined by X-ray fluorescent spectroscopy and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy. The microstructure was characterized by XRD, HRTEM, and low-temperature nitrogen adsorption. The surface groups were investigated by XPS, TPR-H2, and FTIR spectroscopy. DRIFT spectroscopy was performed to investigate the interaction between ethanol and the surface of the synthesized materials. Studies of the sensor properties have shown that in all cases the most sensitive is the SnO2/SiO2-Au nanocomposite. This material retains high sensitivity even in a humid atmosphere. The obtained results are discussed in terms of the synergistic effect of two modifiers (Au and SiO2) in the formation of sensor properties of SnO2/SiO2–Au nanocomposites. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Nanostructured Sensors)
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Review

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21 pages, 2312 KiB  
Review
On the Use of MOFs and ALD Layers as Nanomembranes for the Enhancement of Gas Sensors Selectivity
by Matthieu Weber, Octavio Graniel, Sebastien Balme, Philippe Miele and Mikhael Bechelany
Nanomaterials 2019, 9(11), 1552; https://doi.org/10.3390/nano9111552 - 31 Oct 2019
Cited by 11 | Viewed by 4715
Abstract
Improving the selectivity of gas sensors is crucial for their further development. One effective route to enhance this key property of sensors is the use of selective nanomembrane materials. This work aims to present how metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) and thin films prepared by [...] Read more.
Improving the selectivity of gas sensors is crucial for their further development. One effective route to enhance this key property of sensors is the use of selective nanomembrane materials. This work aims to present how metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) and thin films prepared by atomic layer deposition (ALD) can be applied as nanomembranes to separate different gases, and hence improve the selectivity of gas sensing devices. First, the fundamentals of the mechanisms and configuration of gas sensors will be given. A selected list of studies will then be presented to illustrate how MOFs and ALD materials can be implemented as nanomembranes and how they can be implemented to improve the operational performance of gas sensing devices. This review comprehensively shows the benefits of these novel selective nanomaterials and opens prospects for the sensing community. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Nanostructured Sensors)
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