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Innovative Nanomaterials-Based Chemosensor Devices for Air Quality Monitoring

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A special issue of Chemosensors (ISSN 2227-9040). This special issue belongs to the section "Applied Chemical Sensors".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 June 2024 | Viewed by 4648

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Special Issue Editors

Dr. Elena Dilonardo

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Institute of Nanotechnology, CNR-NANOTEC, c/o Department of Chemistry, Università degli Studi di Bari, Via Orabona 4, 70126 Bari, Italy
Interests: material chemistry; nanomaterials; sensors; biosensors; surface chemistry; material characterization
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Prof. Dr. Oleg Lupan

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1. Department of Materials Science, Faculty of Engineering, Kiel University, Kaiserstraße 2, D-24143 Kiel, Germany
2. Center for Nanotechnology and Nanosensors, Department of Microelectronics and Biomedical Engineering, Faculty CIM, Technical University of Moldova, 168 Stefan cel Mare Str., MD-2004 Chisinau, Moldova
Interests: nanosensors; nanotechnology; nanoelectronics; microelectronics; semiconducting oxides

Dr. Andrea Gaiardo

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Guest Editor

Department of Physics and Earth Science, University of Ferrara, 44122 Ferrara, Italy
Interests: nanostructured materials; gas sensors; semiconductors: hybrid materials; inorganic and organic synthesis
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Nowadays, global warming, including climate change, has become a serious problem worldwide. One of the causes is environmental pollution. Specifically, air pollution is rapidly increasing due to modernization and urbanization. In this context, pollutant gases emitted from exhausts, e.g., sulfur dioxide (SO₂) and nitrogen oxides (NOx), and greenhouse gases, including carbon dioxide (CO₂), methane (CH₄), and NOx, are the main drivers of global warming. Therefore, the continuous detection and monitoring of such gaseous pollutants are mandatory to prevent global environmental deterioration.

This Special Issue focuses on the synthesis and production of nanostructure-based sensing layers for chemosensor devices, specifically for environmental monitoring. A chemosensor is a type of sensor that can be used to quickly, accurately, precisely, and sensitively identify the environmental status. All these characteristics are very useful in monitoring since it can be carried out in real-time, allowing decisions to be made to propose corrective and preventive solutions to environmental pollution.

This Special Issue of Chemosensors will be dedicated to recent advances in innovative nanomaterial-based chemosensor devices for air quality monitoring.

Full papers, communications, and reviews are welcome. Topics include, but are not limited to, the following:

Nanomaterials and/or functionalized nanomaterials with enhanced gas sensing properties (e.g., metal oxides, polymers, carbon-based nanomaterials, hybrid organic-inorganic nanocomposites, etc.);
The synthesis, functionalization, and deposition techniques of nanomaterials as sensing layer;
The fabrication and development of chemoresistive gas sensor devices based on nanomaterial sensing layer;
Applications (indoor and outdoor air quality monitoring).

Dr. Elena Dilonardo
Prof. Dr. Oleg Lupan
Dr. Andrea Gaiardo
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Chemosensors is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2700 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

gas sensors
nanomaterials
nanomaterial functionalization
environmental monitoring
chemosensors

Published Papers (4 papers)

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Research

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14 pages, 7435 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Influence of Silsesquioxane-Containing Ultra-Thin Polymer Films on Metal Oxide Gas Sensor Performance for the Tunable Detection of Biomarkers

by Oleg Lupan, Mihai Brinza, Julia Piehl, Nicolai Ababii, Nicolae Magariu, Lukas Zimoch, Thomas Strunskus, Thierry Pauporte, Rainer Adelung, Franz Faupel and Stefan Schröder

Chemosensors 2024, 12(5), 76; https://doi.org/10.3390/chemosensors12050076 - 5 May 2024

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Abstract

Certain biomarkers in exhaled breath are indicators of diseases in the human body. The non-invasive detection of such biomarkers in human breath increases the demand for simple and cost-effective gas sensors to replace state-of-the-art gas chromatography (GC) machines. The use of metal oxide (MOX) gas sensors based on thin-film structures solves the current limitations of breath detectors. However, the response at high humidity levels, i.e., in the case of exhaled human breath, significantly decreases the sensitivity of MOX sensors, making it difficult to detect small traces of biomarkers. We have introduced, in previous work, the concept of a hybrid gas sensor, in which thin-film-based MOX gas sensors are combined with an ultra-thin (20–30 nm) polymer top layer deposited by solvent-free initiated chemical vapor deposition (iCVD). The hydrophobic top layer enables sensor measurement in high-humidity conditions as well as the precise tuning of selectivity and sensitivity. In this paper, we present a way to increase the hydrogen (H₂) sensitivity of hybrid sensors through chemical modification of the polymer top layer. A poly(1,3,5,7-tetramethyl-tetravinylcyclotetrasiloxane) (PV4D4) thin film, already applied in one of our previous studies, is transformed into a silsesquioxane-containing top layer by a simple heating step. The transformation results in a significant increase in the gas response for H₂ ~709% at an operating temperature of 350 °C, which we investigate based on the underlying sensing mechanism. These results reveal new pathways in the biomedical application field for the analysis of exhaled breath, where H₂ indicates gastrointestinal diseases. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Innovative Nanomaterials-Based Chemosensor Devices for Air Quality Monitoring)

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Review

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38 pages, 5482 KiB

Open AccessReview

Chemiresistive Materials for Alcohol Vapor Sensing at Room Temperature

by Anna Maria Laera and Michele Penza

Chemosensors 2024, 12(5), 78; https://doi.org/10.3390/chemosensors12050078 - 7 May 2024

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Abstract

The development of efficient sensors able to detect alcoholic compounds has great relevance in many fields including medicine, pharmaceuticals, food and beverages, safety, and security. In addition, the measurements of alcohols in air are significant for environmental protection because volatile alcohols can have harmful effects on human health not only through ingestion, but also through inhalation or skin absorption. The analysis of alcohols in breath is a further expanding area, being employed for disease diagnoses. The analyses performed by using chromatography, mass-spectrometry, nuclear magnetic resonance, ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy, Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, or Raman spectroscopy often require complex sampling and procedures. As a consequence, many research groups have focused their efforts on the development of efficient portable sensors to replace conventional methods and bulky equipment. The ability to operate at room temperature is a key factor in designing portable light devices suitable for in situ real-time monitoring. In the present review, we provide a survey of the recent literature on the most efficient chemiresistive materials for alcohol sensing at room temperature. Remarkable gas-sensing performances have mainly been obtained by using metal oxides semiconductors (MOSs), metal organic frameworks (MOFs), 2D materials, and polymers. Among 2D materials, we mainly consider graphene-based materials, graphitic carbon nitride, transition metal chalcogenides, and MXenes. We discuss scientific advances and innovations published in the span of the last five years, focusing on sensing mechanisms. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Innovative Nanomaterials-Based Chemosensor Devices for Air Quality Monitoring)

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76 pages, 97316 KiB

Open AccessReview

Growth Processing and Strategies: A Way to Improve the Gas Sensing Performance of Nickel Oxide-Based Devices

by Marwa Ben Arbia and Elisabetta Comini

Chemosensors 2024, 12(3), 45; https://doi.org/10.3390/chemosensors12030045 - 8 Mar 2024

Viewed by 1997

Abstract

The review paper provides a comprehensive analysis of nickel oxide (NiO) as an emerging material in environmental monitoring by surveying recent developments primarily within the last three years and reports the growth processing and strategies employed to enhance NiO sensing performance. It covers synthesis methods for pristine NiO, including vapor-phase, liquid-phase, and solution-processing techniques, highlighting advantages and limitations. The growth mechanisms of NiO nanostructures are explored, with a focus on the most recent research studies. Additionally, different strategies to improve the gas sensing performance of NiO are discussed (i.e., surface functionalization by metallic nanoparticles, heterostructure formation, carbon-based nanomaterials, and conducting polymers). The influence of these strategies on selectivity, sensitivity, response time, and stability of NiO-based sensors is thoroughly examined. Finally, the challenges and future directions that may lead to the successful development of highly efficient NiO-based gas sensors for environmental monitoring are introduced in this review. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Innovative Nanomaterials-Based Chemosensor Devices for Air Quality Monitoring)

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29 pages, 2720 KiB

Open AccessReview

Metal Oxide-Based Sensors for Ecological Monitoring: Progress and Perspectives

by Mykhail Tereshkov, Tetiana Dontsova, Bilge Saruhan and Svitlana Krüger

Chemosensors 2024, 12(3), 42; https://doi.org/10.3390/chemosensors12030042 - 5 Mar 2024

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1407

Abstract

This paper aims to provide a large coverage of recent developments regarding environmental monitoring using metal oxide-based sensors. Particular attention is given to the detection of gases such as H₂, CO_x, SO_x, NO_x, and CH₄. The developments and analyses of the design of sensors and types of metal oxide sensing materials are emphasized. The sensing mechanisms and peculiarities of metal oxides used in chemoresistive sensors are provided. The main parameters that affect the sensitivity and selectivity of metal oxide sensors are indicated and their significance to the sensor signal is analyzed. Modern data processing algorithms, employed to optimize the measurement process and processing of the sensor signal, are considered. The existing sensor arrays/e-nose systems for environmental monitoring are summarized, and future prospects and challenges encountered with metal oxide-based sensor arrays are highlighted. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Innovative Nanomaterials-Based Chemosensor Devices for Air Quality Monitoring)

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