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

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 25 October 2026 | Viewed by 7101

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Special Issue Editor

Dr. Mikhael Bechelany

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European Institute of Membranes (IEM), University of Montpellier, 34090 Montpellier, France
Interests: atomic layer deposition; photocatalysis; electrospinning; nanomaterials; sensors; thin films
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Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Two-dimensional (2D) materials are an emerging class of ultrathin nanomaterials with remarkable physicochemical properties. Their unique features, such as an extremely high surface-to-volume ratio, tunable electronic and optical properties, and versatile chemical functionality, make them highly attractive for sensing and biosensing applications. Various types of 2D materials have garnered significant attention, including graphene and its derivatives, transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs), layered double hydroxides, boron nitride, MXenes, and transition metal oxides. These materials exhibit exceptional electrical conductivity, chemical stability, and mechanical flexibility, making them promising candidates for the next generation of sensor technologies.

This Special Issue aims to bring together original research and review articles focused on the development of 2D-based materials for advanced sensing applications. Topics of interest include, but are not limited to, the following:

Synthesis, functionalization, and structural modification of 2D materials for sensor and biosensor applications.
Characterization techniques for assessing surface chemistry, electronic properties, and interfacial interactions.
Integration of 2D materials into flexible, stretchable, and wearable sensors.
Novel approaches for enhancing sensor performance, including increased sensitivity, improved selectivity, and long-term stability.
Theoretical and experimental studies on the interaction of 2D materials with analytes at the nanoscale level.

By tailoring the structural properties and surface chemistry of 2D materials, researchers can develop highly efficient sensing platforms for biomedical, environmental, and industrial applications. We welcome contributions that advance the fundamental understanding and practical implementation of 2D materials in cutting-edge sensing technologies.

Dr. Mikhael Bechelany
Guest Editor

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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

2D materials
sensors
biosensors
health
diagnosis
food safety
defense and security
environmental monitoring
gas detection

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Published Papers (6 papers)

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Research

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20 pages, 4792 KB

Open AccessArticle

Computational Simulation of a Surface Plasmonic Resonance Biosensor for β2-Microglobulin Based on Electrolyte-Gated Graphene

by Ghassem Baridi, Arslan Liaquat, Leonardo Martini, Federico Rapuzzi, Vito Clericò, Mario Amado, Enrique Diez, El Hadj Abidi, Maria Celeste Maschio, Stefano Corni, Yahya Moubarak Meziani, Giorgia Brancolini, Francesco Rossella and Luigi Rovati

Sensors 2026, 26(9), 2815; https://doi.org/10.3390/s26092815 - 30 Apr 2026

Viewed by 904

Abstract

Biosensors have emerged as a rapidly evolving area of research, offering transformative potential across biomedical diagnostics, environmental monitoring, and pharmaceutical applications. Among the diverse range of biosensing technologies, graphene-based surface plasmonic resonance (SPR) biosensors have attracted particular interest due to their exceptional sensitivity, scalability for mass production, and cost-effective fabrication processes. This study explores the operational principles and current design methodologies of graphene-based SPR biosensors, with a special emphasis on the role of electrolyte gating and its impact on sensor performance. Furthermore, the influence of graphene’s quantum capacitance is investigated as a critical parameter for improving the accuracy and reliability of performance predictions in the proposed sensor configuration. Computational analysis of sensitivity and key performance metrics was conducted. Notably, key performance metrics of the sensor improved upon incorporating quantum capacitance effects into the simulation framework. At a β₂-microglobulin concentration of 0.00118 g/L, the sensitivity increased to 174 GHz·g/L, the figure of merit reached 0.55 L/g, the quality factor was 0.01, the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) rose to 0.008, and the detection accuracy (DA) reached 0.08 L/THz, demonstrating the significant impact of quantum capacitance on the sensor’s performance. These findings highlight the potential of quantum-electrostatic considerations to enhance the precision and efficacy of graphene-based SPR biosensors, paving the way for the development of next-generation biosensing platforms with improved analytical capabilities. Unlike conventional graphene SPR biosensors, which primarily detect refractive index changes near the graphene surface, our model explicitly considers the electrostatic effect of biomolecules on graphene’s Fermi energy. By modelling β2-microglobulin as a charged species, we compute the resulting electric double layer and incorporate quantum capacitance in series. This amplifies the charge-induced modulation of graphene’s optical conductivity, and, combined with a graphene perfect absorber design, leads to enhanced plasmonic resonance shifts. Consequently, our approach achieves higher sensitivity and more precise detection of biomolecular interactions compared to traditional simulations. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue 2D Materials for Advanced Sensing Technology)

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21 pages, 3227 KB

Open AccessArticle

Investigating the Effect of Active Site Density in Transition Metal-Doped Graphene on CO Gas Sensing Performance: A DFT Study

by Siyu Wang, Yahui Li, Tao Zhou and Panagiotis Tsiakaras

Sensors 2026, 26(7), 2128; https://doi.org/10.3390/s26072128 - 30 Mar 2026

Viewed by 617

Abstract

Developing sensitive and reversible CO sensors requires precise control of material–analyte interactions. Using DFT, we investigate CO sensing on bimetallic (Fe, Pt) anchored on N-doped graphene (TM₂–N₄–C), focusing on active-site density effects. Three densities are considered: low (12.7 Å), medium (8.5 Å), and high (4.2 Å). FePt–N₄–C band gaps exhibit non-monotonic tuning, approaching metallicity at high density. CO chemisorbs on Fe sites, but physisorbs on Pt sites. FePt exhibits stronger synergistic adsorption than homonuclear counterparts. While adsorption generally strengthens with density, spin-polarized calculations qualitatively reorder this trend via spin delocalization. High temperatures drastically improve recovery; low-density FePt–N₄–C reaches 65 s at 498 K. Three design principles emerge: low-density heteronuclear systems for reversible sensing, medium-density high-spin states for ultra-sensitive capture, and high-density configurations for work function sensors. This work establishes active site density as a key electronic and kinetic knob for graphene-based CO sensors. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue 2D Materials for Advanced Sensing Technology)

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14 pages, 3572 KB

Open AccessArticle

Graphene-Based Localized Surface Plasmon Metasurface for Mid-Infrared Four-Band Ultra-Narrow Absorbing Sensor

by Min Luo, Zihao Chen and Qiye Wen

Sensors 2025, 25(24), 7477; https://doi.org/10.3390/s25247477 - 9 Dec 2025

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1149

Abstract

In this paper, the design of a mid-infrared four-band ultra-narrowband wave-absorbing sensor based on the localized equi-excited exciton resonance of graphene metamaterials is presented. The designed super-surface unit has a geometrically symmetric structure and is insensitive to incident light sources with different polarization directions. The absorbing sensor has four resonant wavelengths located at λ₁ = 3.172 μm, λ₂ = 3.525 μm, λ₃ = 3.906 μm, and λ₄ = 4.588 μm, with absorption efficiencies of 99.94%, 99.46%, 99.55%, and 98.16%, respectively. In addition, the dynamic tuning of the resonant wavelength and absorption efficiency can be realized by changing the gate voltage or through chemical doping of graphene. Moreover, the wave-absorbing performance can maintain stable absorption over a wide range of incidence angles from 0 to 50°. Finally, the wave-absorbing sensor was subjected to different ambient refractive indices, and the refractive index sensitivities corresponding to the four resonant wavelengths were obtained as 587.5 nm/RIU, 700.0 nm/RIU, 850.0 nm/RIU, and 900.0 nm/RIU, with FOM values of 48.96 RIU⁻¹, 58.34 RIU⁻¹, 53.13 RIU⁻¹, and 28.13 RIU⁻¹, respectively, all of which have superior sensing characteristics. Therefore, this paper enriches the variety of mid-infrared absorber sensors and has a broad application prospect in the fields of wave absorption, sensing, and detection. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue 2D Materials for Advanced Sensing Technology)

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13 pages, 1717 KB

Open AccessArticle

High-Performance Hydrogen Gas Sensor Based on Pd-Doped MoS₂/Si Heterojunction

by Enyu Ma, Zihao Xu, Ankai Sun, Shuo Yang and Jianyu Jiang

Sensors 2025, 25(15), 4753; https://doi.org/10.3390/s25154753 - 1 Aug 2025

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1946

Abstract

High-performance hydrogen gas sensors have gained considerable interest for their crucial function in reducing H₂ explosion risk. Although MoS₂ has good potential for chemical sensing, its application in hydrogen detection at room temperature is limited by slow response and incomplete recovery. In this work, Pd-doped MoS₂ thin films are deposited on a Si substrate, forming Pd-doped MoS₂/Si heterojunctions via magnetron co-sputtering. The incorporation of Pd nanoparticles significantly enhances the catalytic activity for hydrogen adsorption and facilitates more efficient electron transfer. Owing to its distinct structural characteristics and sharp interface properties, the fabricated Pd-doped MoS₂/Si heterojunction device exhibits excellent H₂ sensing performance under room temperature conditions. The gas sensor device achieves an impressive sensing response of ~6.4 × 10³% under 10,000 ppm H₂ concentration, representing a 110% improvement compared to pristine MoS₂. Furthermore, the fabricated heterojunction device demonstrates rapid response and recovery times (24.6/12.2 s), excellent repeatability, strong humidity resistance, and a ppb-level detection limit. These results demonstrate the promising application prospects of Pd-doped MoS₂/Si heterojunctions in the development of advanced gas sensing devices. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue 2D Materials for Advanced Sensing Technology)

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Review

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39 pages, 9552 KB

Open AccessReview

Recent Progress of Structural Design, Fabrication Processes, and Applications of Flexible Acceleration Sensors

by Yuting Wang, Zhidi Chen, Peng Chen, Jie Mei, Jiayue Kuang, Chang Li, Zhijun Zhou and Xiaobo Long

Sensors 2026, 26(8), 2499; https://doi.org/10.3390/s26082499 - 17 Apr 2026

Viewed by 592

Abstract

Flexible acceleration sensors demonstrate revolutionary potential in healthcare, structural vibration monitoring, and consumer electronics owing to their unique conformal adhesion capability and mechanical adaptability. However, current academic research presents two distinct paradigms for realizing flexibility: one is the hybridly flexible sensor, which incorporates traditional micro-electro-mechanical System (MEMS) acceleration sensor chips with flexible packaging/substrates; the other is the intrinsically flexible sensor, whose sensing unit and substrate are entirely composed of flexible materials enabled by microstructural design. This review first analyzes the fundamental differences and design challenges between these two flexible architectures. It then systematically elucidates five core sensing mechanisms—capacitive, piezoresistive, triboelectric, piezoelectric, and electromagnetic—comparing their working principles, material systems, structural designs, and performance metrics. Among these, piezoelectric and triboelectric types exhibit distinctive advantages in self-powering capability, whereas resistive and capacitive approaches offer greater ease of integration. Furthermore, the applications of intrinsically flexible acceleration sensors in structural health monitoring, wearable devices, automotive safety, and other fields are discussed, with particular emphasis on their unique strengths in real-time vibration monitoring. Finally, the review summarizes existing challenges, such as the trade-off between sensitivity and flexibility, and provides theoretical insights to guide future innovations in intrinsically flexible acceleration sensor technology. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue 2D Materials for Advanced Sensing Technology)

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45 pages, 11150 KB

Open AccessReview

Conducting Polymers for Electrochemical Sensing: From Materials and Metrology to Intelligent and Sustainable Biointerfaces

by Giovanna Di Pasquale and Antonino Pollicino

Sensors 2026, 26(3), 908; https://doi.org/10.3390/s26030908 - 30 Jan 2026

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 1131

Abstract

Conducting polymers (CPs) have become cornerstone materials in electrochemical sensors and biosensors due to their mixed ionic–electronic conduction, mechanical softness, and intrinsic biointerface compatibility. This review provides a comprehensive and critical overview of the field, tracing the evolution of CP-based devices from classical poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene):poly(styrene sulfonate) (PEDOT:PSS), polyaniline (PANI), and polypyrrole (PPy) electrodes to emerging nanostructured, hybrid, wearable, and transient systems. We discuss fundamental charge-transport mechanisms, doping strategies, structure–property relationships, and the role of morphology and biofunctionalization in dictating sensitivity, selectivity, and stability. Particular emphasis is placed on reliability challenges—including drift, dopant leaching, environmental degradation, and biofouling—and on the current lack of standardized metrology, which hampers cross-study comparability. We propose a framework for rigorous calibration, reference electrode design, and data reporting, enabling quantitative benchmarking across materials and architectures. To support meaningful cross-platform comparison, representative performance envelopes—including conductivity, limit of detection, sensitivity, selectivity strategies, and operational stability—are critically benchmarked across major CP families and sensing modalities. Finally, we explore future directions such as organic mixed ionic–electronic conductors, biohybrid and living polymer interfaces, Artificial Intelligence-driven modeling, and sustainable transient electronics. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue 2D Materials for Advanced Sensing Technology)

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