MXene Key Composites:A New Arena for Gas Sensors

With the development of science and technology,the scale of industrial production continues to grow,and the types and quantities of gas raw materials used in industrial production and produced during the production process are also constantly increasing.These gases include flammable and explosive gases,and even contain toxic gases.Therefore,it is very important and necessary for gas sensors to detect and monitor these gases quickly and accurately.In recent years,a new two-dimensional material called MXene has attracted widespread attention in various applications.Their abundant surface functional groups and sites,excellent current conductivity,tunable surface chemistry,and outstanding stability make them promising for gas sensor applications.Since the birth of MXene materials,researchers have utilized the efficient and convenient solution etching preparation,high flexibility,and easily functionalize MXene with other materials to pre-pare composites for gas sensing.This has opened a new chapter in high-performance gas sensing materials and provided a new approach for advanced sensor research.However,previous reviews on MXene-based composite materials in gas sensing only focused on the performance of gas sensing,without systematically explaining the gas sensing mechanisms generated by different gases,as well as summarizing and predicting the advantages and disadvantages of MXene-based composite materials.This article reviews the latest progress in the application of MXene-based composite materials in gas sensing.Firstly,a brief summary was given of the commonly used methods for preparing gas sens-ing device structures,followed by an introduction to the key attributes of MXene related to gas sensing performance.This article focuses on the performance of MXene-based composite materials used for gas sensing,such as MXene/graphene,MXene/Metal oxide,MXene/Transition metal sulfides(TMDs),MXene/Metal-organic framework(MOF),MXene/Polymer.It summarizes the advantages and disadvantages of MXene com-posite materials with different composites and discusses the possible gas sensing mechanisms of MXene-based composite materials for different gases.Finally,future directions and inroads of MXenes-based composites in gas sensing are presented and discussed.

Overcoming the Limits of Cross-Sensitivity:Pattern Recognition Methods for Chemiresistive Gas Sensor Array

As information acquisition terminals for artificial olfaction,chemiresistive gas sensors are often troubled by their cross-sensitivity,and reducing their cross-response to ambient gases has always been a difficult and important point in the gas sensing area.Pattern recognition based on sensor array is the most conspicuous way to overcome the cross-sensitivity of gas sensors.It is crucial to choose an appropriate pattern recognition method for enhancing data analysis,reducing errors and improving system reliability,obtaining better classification or gas concentration prediction results.In this review,we analyze the sensing mechanism of crosssensitivity for chemiresistive gas sensors.We further examine the types,working principles,characteristics,and applicable gas detection range of pattern recognition algorithms utilized in gas-sensing arrays.Additionally,we report,summarize,and evaluate the outstanding and novel advancements in pattern recognition methods for gas identification.At the same time,this work showcases the recent advancements in utilizing these methods for gas identification,particularly within three crucial domains:ensuring food safety,monitoring the environment,and aiding in medical diagnosis.In conclusion,this study anticipates future research prospects by considering the existing landscape and challenges.It is hoped that this work will make a positive contribution towards mitigating cross-sensitivity in gas-sensitive devices and offer valuable insights for algorithm selection in gas recognition applications.

Highly Sensitive Ammonia Gas Sensors at Room Temperature Based on the Catalytic Mechanism of N,C Coordinated Ni Single-Atom Active Center

Significant challenges are posed by the limitations of gas sensing mechanisms for trace-level detection of ammonia(NH3).In this study,we propose to exploit single-atom catalytic activation and targeted adsorption properties to achieve highly sensitive and selective NH3 gas detection.Specifically,Ni singleatom active sites based on N,C coordination(Ni-N-C)were interfacially confined on the surface of two-dimensional(2D)MXene nanosheets(Ni-N-C/Ti_(3)C_(2)Tx),and a fully flexible gas sensor(MNPE-Ni-N-C/Ti_(3)C_(2)Tx)was integrated.The sensor demonstrates a remarkable response value to 5 ppm NH3(27.3%),excellent selectivity for NH3,and a low theoretical detection limit of 12.1 ppb.Simulation analysis by density functional calculation reveals that the Ni single-atom center with N,C coordination exhibits specific targeted adsorption properties for NH3.Additionally,its catalytic activation effect effectively reduces the Gibbs free energy of the sensing elemental reaction,while its electronic structure promotes the spill-over effect of reactive oxygen species at the gas-solid interface.The sensor has a dual-channel sensing mechanism of both chemical and electronic sensitization,which facilitates efficient electron transfer to the 2D MXene conductive network,resulting in the formation of the NH3 gas molecule sensing signal.Furthermore,the passivation of MXene edge defects by a conjugated hydrogen bond network enhances the long-term stability of MXene-based electrodes under high humidity conditions.This work achieves highly sensitive room-temperature NH3 gas detection based on the catalytic mechanism of Ni single-atom active center with N,C coordination,which provides a novel gas sensing mechanism for room-temperature trace gas detection research.

Atomic layer deposition to heterostructures for application in gas sensors

Atomic layer deposition(ALD) is a versatile technique to deposit metals and metal oxide sensing materials at the atomic scale to achieve improved sensor functions. This article reviews metals and metal oxide semiconductor(MOS) heterostructures for gas sensing applications in which at least one of the preparation steps is carried out by ALD. In particular, three types of MOS-based heterostructures synthesized by ALD are discussed, including ALD of metal catalysts on MOS, ALD of metal oxides on MOS and MOS core–shell(C–S) heterostructures.The gas sensing performances of these heterostructures are carefully analyzed and discussed.Finally, the further developments required and the challenges faced by ALD for the synthesis of MOS gas sensing materials are discussed.

Advances in Noble Metal-Decorated Metal Oxide Nanomaterials for Chemiresistive Gas Sensors:Overview

Highly sensitive gas sensors with remarkably low detection limits are attractive for diverse practical application fields including real-time environmental monitoring,exhaled breath diagnosis,and food freshness analysis.Among various chemiresistive sensing materials,noble metal-decorated semiconducting metal oxides(SMOs)have currently aroused extensive attention by virtue of the unique electronic and catalytic properties of noble metals.This review highlights the research progress on the designs and applications of different noble metal-decorated SMOs with diverse nanostructures(e.g.,nanoparticles,nanowires,nanorods,nanosheets,nanoflowers,and microspheres)for high-performance gas sensors with higher response,faster response/recovery speed,lower operating temperature,and ultra-low detection limits.The key topics include Pt,Pd,Au,other noble metals(e.g.,Ag,Ru,and Rh.),and bimetals-decorated SMOs containing ZnO,SnO_(2),WO_(3),other SMOs(e.g.,In_(2)O_(3),Fe_(2)O_(3),and CuO),and heterostructured SMOs.In addition to conventional devices,the innovative applications like photo-assisted room temperature gas sensors and mechanically flexible smart wearable devices are also discussed.Moreover,the relevant mechanisms for the sensing performance improvement caused by noble metal decoration,including the electronic sensitization effect and the chemical sensitization effect,have also been summarized in detail.Finally,major challenges and future perspectives towards noble metal-decorated SMOs-based chemiresistive gas sensors are proposed.

Functionalized Hydrogel-Based Wearable Gas and Humidity Sensors

Breathing is an inherent human activity;however,the composition of the air we inhale and gas exhale remains unknown to us.To address this,wearable vapor sensors can help people monitor air composition in real time to avoid underlying risks,and for the early detection and treatment of diseases for home healthcare.Hydrogels with three-dimensional polymer networks and large amounts of water molecules are naturally flexible and stretchable.Functionalized hydrogels are intrinsically conductive,self-healing,self-adhesive,biocompatible,and room-temperature sensitive.Compared with traditional rigid vapor sensors,hydrogel-based gas and humidity sensors can directly fit human skin or clothing,and are more suitable for real-time monitoring of personal health and safety.In this review,current studies on hydrogel-based vapor sensors are investigated.The required properties and optimization methods of wearable hydrogel-based sensors are introduced.Subsequently,existing reports on the response mechanisms of hydrogel-based gas and humidity sensors are summarized.Related works on hydrogel-based vapor sensors for their application in personal health and safety monitoring are presented.Moreover,the potential of hydrogels in the field of vapor sensing is elucidated.Finally,the current research status,challenges,and future trends of hydrogel gas/humidity sensing are discussed.

Optimization of sensor deployment sequences for hazardous gas leakage monitoring and source term estimation

Nowadays, chemical safety has attracted considerable attention, and chemical gas leakage monitoring and source term estimation(STE) have become hot spots. However, few studies have focused on sensor layouts in scenarios with multiple potential leakage sources and wind conditions, and studies on the risk information(RI) detection and prioritization order of sensors have not been performed. In this work, the monitoring area of a chemical factory is divided into multiple rectangles with a uniform mesh. The RI value of each grid node is calculated on the basis of the occurrence probability and normalized concentrations of each leakage scenario. A high RI value indicates that a sensor at a grid node has a high chance of detecting gas concentrations in different leakage scenarios. This situation is beneficial for leakage monitoring and STE. The methods of similarity redundancy detection and the maximization of sensor RI detection are applied to determine the sequence of sensor locations. This study reveals that the RI detection of the optimal sensor layout with eight sensors exceeds that of the typical layout with 12 sensors. In addition, STE with the optimized placement sequence of the sensor layout is numerically simulated. The statistical results of each scenario with various numbers of sensors reveal that STE is affected by sensor number and scenarios(leakage locations and winds). In most scenarios, appropriate STE results can be retained under the optimal sensor layout even with four sensors. Eight or more sensors are advised to improve the performance of STE in all scenarios. Moreover, the reliability of the STE results in each scenario can be known in advance with a specific number of sensors. Such information thus provides a reference for emergency rescue.

Achieving highly-efficient H2S gas sensor by flower-like SnO_(2)–SnO/porous GaN heterojunction

A flower-like SnO_(2)–SnO/porous Ga N(FSS/PGaN) heterojunction was fabricated for the first time via a facile spraying process, and the whole process also involved hydrothermal preparation of FSS and electrochemical wet etching of GaN,and SnO_(2)–SnO composites with p–n junctions were loaded onto PGaN surface directly applied to H_(2)S sensor. Meanwhile,the excellent transport capability of heterojunction between FSS and PGaN facilitates electron transfer, that is, a response time as short as 65 s and a release time up to 27 s can be achieved merely at 150℃ under 50 ppm H_(2)S concentration, which has laid a reasonable theoretical and experimental foundation for the subsequent PGaN-based heterojunction gas sensor.The lowering working temperature and high sensitivity(23.5 at 200 ppm H2S) are attributed to the structure of PGaN itself and the heterojunction between SnO_(2)–SnO and PGaN. In addition, the as-obtained sensor showed ultra-high test stability.The simple design strategy of FSS/PGaN-based H_(2)S sensor highlights its potential in various applications.

Real-Time Tunable Gas Sensing Platform Based on SnO_(2) Nanoparticles Activated by Blue Micro-Light-Emitting Diodes

Micro-light-emitting diodes(μLEDs)have gained significant interest as an activation source for gas sensors owing to their advantages,including room temperature operation and low power consumption.However,despite these benefits,challenges still exist such as a limited range of detectable gases and slow response.In this study,we present a blueμLED-integrated light-activated gas sensor array based on SnO_(2)nanoparticles(NPs)that exhibit excellent sensitivity,tunable selectivity,and rapid detection with micro-watt level power consumption.The optimal power forμLED is observed at the highest gas response,supported by finite-difference time-domain simulation.Additionally,we first report the visible light-activated selective detection of reducing gases using noble metal-decorated SnO_(2)NPs.The noble metals induce catalytic interaction with reducing gases,clearly distinguishing NH3,H2,and C2H5OH.Real-time gas monitoring based on a fully hardwareimplemented light-activated sensing array was demonstrated,opening up new avenues for advancements in light-activated electronic nose technologies.

Design of AI-Enhanced and Hardware-Supported Multimodal E-Skin for Environmental Object Recognition and Wireless Toxic Gas Alarm

Post-earthquake rescue missions are full of challenges due to the unstable structure of ruins and successive aftershocks.Most of the current rescue robots lack the ability to interact with environments,leading to low rescue efficiency.The multimodal electronic skin(e-skin)proposed not only reproduces the pressure,temperature,and humidity sensing capabilities of natural skin but also develops sensing functions beyond it—perceiving object proximity and NO2 gas.Its multilayer stacked structure based on Ecoflex and organohydrogel endows the e-skin with mechanical properties similar to natural skin.Rescue robots integrated with multimodal e-skin and artificial intelligence(AI)algorithms show strong environmental perception capabilities and can accurately distinguish objects and identify human limbs through grasping,laying the foundation for automated post-earthquake rescue.Besides,the combination of e-skin and NO2 wireless alarm circuits allows robots to sense toxic gases in the environment in real time,thereby adopting appropriate measures to protect trapped people from the toxic environment.Multimodal e-skin powered by AI algorithms and hardware circuits exhibits powerful environmental perception and information processing capabilities,which,as an interface for interaction with the physical world,dramatically expands intelligent robots’application scenarios.

Design of a Silicon Beam Resonator for a Novel Gas Sensor

A new silicon beam resonator design for a novel gas sensor based on simultaneous conductivity and mass change measurement is investigated. High selectivity and sensitivity in gas detection can be obtained by measuring the charge-to-mass ratio of gas molecules. Structures of silicon beam resonators are designed, simulated, and optimized. This gas sensor is fabricated using sacrificial layer microelectronmechanical system technology, and the resonant frequency of the microbeam is measured.

Hierarchical Radial Co3O4 Microcrystal and Application in Gas Sensor

Three-dimensional （3D） hierarchical Co3O4 microcrystal with radial dendritic morphologies was prepared through hydrothermal reactions followed by subsequent annealing treatment. Structural and morphological characterizations were performed by X-ray diffraction, scan-ning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy. The gas sensing properties of the as-obtained microcrystal were investigated at 110 oC, which revealed that the 3D hierarchical porous Co3O4 microcrystal exhibited high sensitivity to ammonia, as well as a short response time of 10 s. The response characteristic indicates that the sensor has a good stability and reversibility. Detections of toxic and flammable gases, such as ethanol, acetone and benzene were also carried out at a relative low temperature. The results indicate that such hierarchical Co3O4 microcrystal would be a potential material in the field of gas sensing.

Characteristics of suspended planar-type gas sensor based on MEMS process

In order to simplify the fabrication process,distribute the temperature uniformly and reduce the power consumption of the micro-hotplate（MHP） gas sensor,a planar-type gas sensor based on SnO2 thin film with suspended structure is designed through a MEMS process.Steady-state thermal analysis of the gas sensor and the closed membrane type sensor where the membrane overlaps the Si substrate is carried out with the finite element model,and it is shown that the suspended planar-type gas sensor has a more homogeneous temperature distribution and a lower power consumption.When the maximum temperature on the sensor reaches 383℃,the power consumption is only 7 mW,and the temperature gradient across the thin film is less than 14℃.To overcome the fragility of the suspended beams,a novel fabrication process in which the deposition of the gas sensing film occurs prior to the formation of suspended beams is proposed.The back side of the Si substrate is etched through deep reactive ion etching（DRIE） to avoid chemical pollution of the front side.The fabrication steps in which only four masks are used for the photolithography are described in detail.The Fe doped SnO2 thin film synthesized by sol-gel spin-coating is used as the gas sensing element.The device is tested on hydrogen and exhibits satisfactory sensing performance.The sensitivity increases with the rise of the concentration from 50×10-6 to 2000×10-6,and reaches about 30 at 2000×10-6.

Highly Responsive and Selective Ethanol Gas Sensor Based on Co3O4-Modified SnO2 Nanofibers

SnO2 nanofibers were synthesized by electrospinning and modified with Co3O4 via impregnation in this work. Chemical composition and morphology of the nanofibers were system- atically characterized, and their gas sensing properties were investigated. Results showed that Co3O4 modification significantly enhanced the sensing performance of SnO2 nanofibers to ethanol gas. For a sample with 1.2 mol% Co3O4, the response to 100 ppm ethanol was 38.0 at 300 ℃, about 6.7 times larger than that of SnO2 nanofibers. In addition, the response/recovery time was also greatly reduced. A power-law dependence of the sensor response on the ethanol concentration as well as excellent ethanol selectivity was observed for the Co3O4/SnO2 sensor. The enhanced ethanol sensing performance may be attributed to the formation of p-n heterojunctions between the two oxides.

Zinc Oxide Nanostructures for NO_2 Gas–Sensor Applications:A Review

Because of the interesting and multifunctional properties,recently,ZnO nanostructures are considered as excellent material for fabrication of highly sensitive and selective gas sensors.Thus,ZnO nanomaterials are widely used to fabricate efficient gas sensors for the detection of various hazardous and toxic gases.The presented review article is focusing on the recent developments of NO2gas sensors based on ZnO nanomaterials.The review presents the general introduction of some metal oxide nanomaterials for gas sensing application and finally focusing on the structure of ZnO and its gas sensing mechanisms.Basic gas sensing characteristics such as gas response,response time,recovery time,selectivity,detection limit,stability and recyclability,etc are also discussed in this article.Further,the utilization of various ZnO nanomaterials such as nanorods,nanowires,nano-micro flowers,quantum dots,thin films and nanosheets,etc for the fabrication of NO2gas sensors are also presented.Moreover,various factors such as NO2concentrations,annealing temperature,ZnO morphologies and particle sizes,relative humidity,operating temperatures which are affecting the NO2gas sensing properties are discussed in this review.Finally,the review article is concluded and future directions are presented.

A Review on Graphene-Based Gas/Vapor Sensors with Unique Properties and Potential Applications

Graphene-based gas/vapor sensors have attracted much attention in recent years due to their variety of structures, unique sensing performances, room-temperature working conditions, and tremendous application prospects, etc.Herein, we summarize recent advantages in graphene preparation, sensor construction, and sensing properties of various graphene-based gas/vapor sensors, such as NH_3, NO_2, H_2, CO, SO_2, H_2S, as well as vapor of volatile organic compounds.The detection mechanisms pertaining to various gases are also discussed. In conclusion part, some existing problems which may hinder the sensor applications are presented. Several possible methods to solve these problems are proposed, for example, conceived solutions, hybrid nanostructures, multiple sensor arrays, and new recognition algorithm.

Gas Sensors Based on Chemi?Resistive Hybrid Functional Nanomaterials

Chemi-resistive sensors based on hybrid functional materials are promising candidates for gas sensing with high responsivity,good selectivity,fast response/recovery,great stability/repeatability,room-working temperature,low cost,and easy-to-fabricate,for versatile applications.This progress report reviews the advantages and advances of these sensing structures compared with the single constituent,according to five main sensing forms:manipulating/constructing heterojunctions,catalytic reaction,charge transfer,charge carrier transport,molecular binding/sieving,and their combinations.Promises and challenges of the advances of each form are presented and discussed.Critical thinking and ideas regarding the orientation of the development of hybrid material-based gas sensor in the future are discussed.

Room-Temperature Gas Sensors Under Photoactivation:From Metal Oxides to 2D Materials

Room-temperature gas sensors have aroused great attention in current gas sensor technology because of deemed demand of cheap,low power consumption and portable sensors for rapidly growing Internet of things applications.As an important approach,light illumination has been exploited for room-temperature operation with improving gas sensor's attributes including sensitivity,speed and selectivity.This review provides an overview of the utilization of photoactivated nanomaterials in gas sensing field.First,recent advances in gas sensing of some exciting different nanostructures and hybrids of metal oxide semiconductors under light illumination are highlighted.Later,excellent gas sensing performance of emerging two-dimensional materialsbased sensors under light illumination is discussed in details with proposed gas sensing mechanism.Originated impressive features from the interaction of photons with sensing materials are elucidated in the context of modulating sensing characteristics.Finally,the review concludes with key and constructive insights into current and future perspectives in the light-activated nanomaterials for optoelectronic gas sensor applications.

Strategy and Future Prospects to Develop Room-Temperature-Recoverable NO2 Gas Sensor Based on Two-Dimensional Molybdenum Disulfide

Nitrogen dioxide(NO2),a hazardous gas with acidic nature,is continuously being liberated in the atmosphere due to human activity.The NO2 sensors based on traditional materials have limitations of high-temperature requirements,slow recovery,and performance degradation under harsh environmental conditions.These limitations of traditional materials are forcing the scientific community to discover future alternative NO2 sensitive materials.Molybdenum disulfide(MoS2)has emerged as a potential candidate for developing next-generation NO2 gas sensors.MoS2 has a large surface area for NO2 molecules adsorption with controllable morphologies,facile integration with other materials and compatibility with internet of things(IoT)devices.The aim of this review is to provide a detailed overview of the fabrication of MoS2 chemiresistance sensors in terms of devices(resistor and transistor),layer thickness,morphology control,defect tailoring,heterostructure,metal nanoparticle doping,and through light illumination.Moreover,the experimental and theoretical aspects used in designing MoS2-based NO2 sensors are also discussed extensively.Finally,the review concludes the challenges and future perspectives to further enhance the gas-sensing performance of MoS2.Understanding and addressing these issues are expected to yield the development of highly reliable and industry standard chemiresistance NO2 gas sensors for environmental monitoring.

Recent Progress on Flexible Room-Temperature Gas Sensors Based on Metal Oxide Semiconductor

With the rapid development of the Internet of Things,there is a great demand for portable gas sensors.Metal oxide semiconductors(MOS)are one of the most traditional and well-studied gas sensing materials and have been widely used to prepare various commercial gas sensors.However,it is limited by high operating temperature.The current research works are directed towards fabricating high-performance flexible room-temperature(FRT)gas sensors,which are effective in simplifying the structure of MOS-based sensors,reducing power consumption,and expanding the application of portable devices.This article presents the recent research progress of MOS-based FRT gas sensors in terms of sensing mechanism,performance,flexibility characteristics,and applications.This review comprehensively summarizes and discusses five types of MOS-based FRT gas sensors,including pristine MOS,noble metal nanoparticles modified MOS,organic polymers modified MOS,carbon-based materials(carbon nanotubes and graphene derivatives)modified MOS,and two-dimensional transition metal dichalcogenides materials modified MOS.The effect of light-illuminated to improve gas sensing performance is further discussed.Furthermore,the applications and future perspectives of FRT gas sensors are also discussed.