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Metal Oxides Sensors: Innovation and Quality of Life

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A special issue of Sensors (ISSN 1424-8220). This special issue belongs to the section "Chemical Sensors".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (20 September 2021) | Viewed by 17298

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Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Elisabetta Comini

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Guest Editor

Sensor Lab, Department of Information Engineering, University of Brescia and CNR INO, Via Valotti 9, 25133 Brescia, Italy
Interests: metal oxides; nanowires; chemical sensors; gas sensors; heterostructures; functional materials; material synthesis
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Dr. Navpreet Kaur

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Guest Editor

Sensor Laboratory, University of Brescia and INSTM UdR Brescia, Via D. Valotti 9, 25133 Brescia, Italy
Interests: metal oxide; nanostructures; heterostructures; gas/chemical sensors; self-assemble monolayer; graphene oxide
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Over the past few decades, researchers have become increasingly captivated in the study of metal oxides (MO_x)-based functional electronic devices. Metal oxides are ionic compounds that are made up of positive metallic and negative oxygen ions. The electrostatic interactions between the positive metallic and negative oxygen ions result in firm and solid ionic bonds. With a completely filled s-shell, most metal oxides have good chemical and thermal stability. However, having a noncompletely filled d-shell offers them a collection of unique properties, i.e., wide bandgap, high dielectric constant, good optical, electrical characteristics and reactive transition. All these exclusive properties make them a potential candidate in a variety of applications.

In SENSOR technology, metal oxides have been broadly exploited as gas sensors, biosensors, physical sensors, and optical sensors. Furthermore, moving from bulk materials to nanostructures, MO_x has opened new and terrific opportunities in the sensing field. Nanostructured metal oxides have been extensively explored to develop chemical–gas sensors and biosensors with high sensitivity, fast response times, and stability. However, a huge number of challenges still exists. The specific mechanisms of sensing involved in MO_x are complex and not fully understood. The sensor’s functional material surface properties, such as nanostructure, morphology, and crystallinity are crucial for its final performances. The main MO_x sensors’ parameters are the sensitivity, selectivity, ability to work in real conditions, and the stability of characteristics over time.

The main aspiration behind this Special Issue is to assemble high-quality contributions focused on presenting a comprehensive overview of the new developments in the sensors field, specifically with regard to the promising approaches that will contribute to further development in MO_x sensors. Recent advances in science and technology will be addressed, including fabrication techniques, growth mechanisms of novel high-performance materials with improved sensing properties, and advanced processing technologies. Sophisticated examples of successful applications of these materials in different sensors will be provided. Moreover, the Special Issue will point out the critical steps involved in applications in real environments.

We invite you to submit a manuscript for this Special Issue. Full papers, communications, and reviews are all welcome.

Prof. Dr. Elisabetta Comini
Dr. Navpreet Kaur
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. Sensors is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly 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 2600 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

Metal oxides (MO_x)
Gas sensor
Chemical sensor
Biosensor
Physical sensor
Optical sensor
Thin film
Nanomaterial
Synthesis and characterization of sensing materials
Applications (automotive, medical, environmental)

Published Papers (4 papers)

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Research

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12 pages, 4207 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Effect of (100) and (001) Hexagonal WO₃ Faceting on Isoprene and Acetone Gas Selectivity

by Owen O. Abe, Zanlin Qiu, Joerg R. Jinschek and Pelagia-Irene Gouma

Sensors 2021, 21(5), 1690; https://doi.org/10.3390/s21051690 - 01 Mar 2021

Cited by 8 | Viewed by 3089

Abstract

The hexagonal

W O_{3}

polymorph, h-

W O_{3}

, has attracted attention due to its interatomic channels, allowing for a greater degree of intercalation compared to other

W O_{3}

polymorphs. Our research group has previously demonstrated h- [...] Read more.

The hexagonal

W O_{3}

polymorph, h-

W O_{3}

, has attracted attention due to its interatomic channels, allowing for a greater degree of intercalation compared to other

W O_{3}

polymorphs. Our research group has previously demonstrated h-

W O_{3}

to be a highly sensitive gas sensing material for a flu biomarker, isoprene. In this work, the gas sensing performance of this polymorph has been further investigated in two distinct configurations of the material produced by different processing routes. The first sample was synthesized using

N a_{2} W O_{4} \cdot 2 H_{2} O

and showed (100) faceting. The second sample was synthesized using

W C l_{6}

and showed (001) faceting. The gas sensing response of the nanostructured films deposited using the (100) textured h-

W O_{3}

sample 1 had a higher response to acetone at 350 °C. The (001) textured h-

W O_{3}

sample 2 favored isoprene at 350 °C. The selectivity of the latter to isoprene is explained in terms of the dangling bonds present on the (001) facets. The tungsten and oxygen dangling bonds present on the (001) plane favor the adsorption of the isoprene molecule over that of the acetone molecule due to the oxygen containing dipole present in the acetone molecule. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Metal Oxides Sensors: Innovation and Quality of Life)

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Figure 1

11 pages, 4112 KiB

Open AccessCommunication

Self-Assembled Monolayers Coated Porous SnO₂ Film Gas Sensor with Reduced Humidity Influence

by Cheonji Lee, Sunjong Oh, Seung-Chul Park, Ho-Nyun Lee, Hyun-Jong Kim, Jinkee Lee and Hyuneui Lim

Sensors 2021, 21(2), 610; https://doi.org/10.3390/s21020610 - 17 Jan 2021

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 2484

Abstract

Metal-oxide sensors, detect gas through the reaction of surface oxygen molecules with target gases, are promising for the detection of toxic pollutant gases, combustible gases, and organic vapors; however, their sensitivity, selectivity, and long-term stability limit practical applications. Porous structure for increasing surface area, adding catalyst, and altering the operation temperature are proposed for enhancing the sensitivity and selectivity. Although humidity can significantly affect the property and stability of the sensors, studies focusing on the long-term stability of gas sensors are scarce. To reduce the effects of humidity, 1H, 1H, 2H, 2H–perfluorooctyltriethoxysilane (PFOTS) was coated on a porous SnO₂ film. The interconnected SnO₂ nanowires improved the high surface area, and the PFOTS coating provided superhydrophobicity at water contact angle of 159°and perfect water vapor repellency inside E-SEM. The superhydrophobic porous morphology was maintained under relative humidity of 99% and operating temperature of 300 °C. The CO gas sensing of 5, 20, and 50 ppm were obtained with linearity at various humidity. Flame detection was also achieved with practical high humidity conditions. These results suggest the simple way for reliable sensing of nanostructured metal-oxide gas sensors with high sensitivity and long-term stability even in highly humid environments. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Metal Oxides Sensors: Innovation and Quality of Life)

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Figure 1

9 pages, 1908 KiB

Open AccessCommunication

All 3D Printed Stretchable Piezoelectric Nanogenerator for Self-Powered Sensor Application

by Xinran Zhou, Kaushik Parida, Oded Halevi, Shlomo Magdassi and Pooi See Lee

Sensors 2020, 20(23), 6748; https://doi.org/10.3390/s20236748 - 26 Nov 2020

Cited by 22 | Viewed by 3978

Abstract

With the rapid development of wearable electronic systems, the need for stretchable nanogenerators becomes increasingly important for autonomous applications such as the Internet-of-Things. Piezoelectric nanogenerators are of interest for their ability to harvest mechanical energy from the environment with its inherent polarization arising from crystal structures or molecular arrangements of the piezoelectric materials. In this work, 3D printing is used to fabricate a stretchable piezoelectric nanogenerator which can serve as a self-powered sensor based on synthesized oxide–polymer composites. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Metal Oxides Sensors: Innovation and Quality of Life)

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Review

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26 pages, 4991 KiB

Open AccessEditor’s ChoiceReview

An Outlook of Recent Advances in Chemiresistive Sensor-Based Electronic Nose Systems for Food Quality and Environmental Monitoring

by Alishba T. John, Krishnan Murugappan, David R. Nisbet and Antonio Tricoli

Sensors 2021, 21(7), 2271; https://doi.org/10.3390/s21072271 - 24 Mar 2021

Cited by 50 | Viewed by 6732

Abstract

An electronic nose (Enose) relies on the use of an array of partially selective chemical gas sensors for identification of various chemical compounds, including volatile organic compounds in gas mixtures. They have been proposed as a portable low-cost technology to analyse complex odours in the food industry and for environmental monitoring. Recent advances in nanofabrication, sensor and microcircuitry design, neural networks, and system integration have considerably improved the efficacy of Enose devices. Here, we highlight different types of semiconducting metal oxides as well as their sensing mechanism and integration into Enose systems, including different pattern recognition techniques employed for data analysis. We offer a critical perspective of state-of-the-art commercial and custom-made Enoses, identifying current challenges for the broader uptake and use of Enose systems in a variety of applications. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Metal Oxides Sensors: Innovation and Quality of Life)

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