Zinc Oxide-Based Acetone Gas Sensors for Breath Analysis: A Review

Acetone is one of the toxic, explosive, and harmful gases. It may cause several health hazard issues such as narcosis and headache. Acetone is also regarded as a key biomarker to diagnose several diseases as well as monitor the disorders in human health. Based on clinical findings, acetone concentration in human breath is correlated with many diseases such as asthma, halitosis, lung cancer, and diabetes. Thus, its investigation can become a new approach for health monitoring. Better management at the early stages of such diseases has the potential not only to reduce deaths associated with the disease but also to reduce medical costs. ZnO−based sensors show great potential for acetone gas due to their high chemical stability, simple synthesis process, and low cost. The findings suggested that the acetone sensing performance of such sensors can be significantly improved by manipulating the microstructure (surface area, porosity, etc.), composition, and morphology of ZnO nanomaterials. This article provides a comprehensive review of the state-of-the-art research activities, published during the last five years (2016 to 2020), related to acetone gas sensing using nanostructured ZnO (nanowires, nanoparticles, nanorods, thin films, etc). It focuses on different types of nanostructured ZnO-based acetone gas sensors. Furthermore, several factors such as relative humidity, acetone concentrations, and operating temperature that affects the acetone gas sensing properties- sensitivity, long-term stability, selectivity as well as response and recovery time are discussed in this review. We hope that this work will inspire the development of high-performance acetone gas sensors using nanostructured materials.     

Electrochemical Affinity Sensors Using Field Effect Transducer Devices for Chemical Analysis

The review presents advances and main challenges of the affinity sensors based on field- effect transistors published during the last five years. The different nanomaterial-based field-effect transistors are classified according to the nature of the nanomaterials, beginning by silicon, the “gold-standard” semiconductor, the gallium nitride semiconductor, the organic semiconductors, the silicon nanowires, the inorganic nanomaterials, the carbon nanotubes and the graphene. Due to its exceptional electrical properties, the main works are devoted to graphene. The obtained analytical performances for the detection of biomarkers, of DNA sequences and of miRNA are listed. The relation between the operational conditions - nature of the nanomaterials, procedure of preparation, choice of the receptor molecule, method of immobilization – and the analytical performance are discussed. The perspective of industrialization of these affinity sensors based on field-effect transistors is discussed.     

Sensing nanomaterials of wearable glucose sensors

The metabolic disorder of glucose in human body will cause diseases such as diabetes and hyperglycemia.Hence the determination of glucose content is very important in clinic diagnosing.In recent years,researchers have proposed various non-invasive wearable sensors for rapid and real-time glucose monitoring from human body fluids.Unlike those reviews which discussed performances,detection environments or substrates of the wearable glucose sensor,this review focuses on the sensing nanomaterials since they are the key elements of most wearable glucose sensors.The sensing nanomaterials such as carbon,metals,and conductive polymers are summarized in detail.And also the structural characteristics of different sensing nanomaterials and the corresponding wearable glucose sensors are highlighted.Finally,we prospect the future development requirements of sensing nanomaterials for wearable glucose sensors.This review would give some insights to the further development of wearable glucose sensors and the modern medical treatment.     

Tin Oxide Based Hybrid Nanostructures for Efficient Gas Sensing

Tin oxide as a semiconductor metal oxide has revealed great potential in the field of gas sensing due to its porous structure and reduced size. Especially for tin oxide and its composites, inherent properties such as high surface areas and their unique semiconducting properties with tunable band gaps make them compelling for sensing applications. In combination with the general benefits of metal oxide nanomaterials, the incorporation of metal oxides into metal oxide nanoparticles is a new approach that has dramatically improved the sensing performance of these materials due to the synergistic effects. This review aims to comprehend the sensing mechanisms and the synergistic effects of tin oxide and its composites in achieving high selectivity, high sensitivity and rapid response speed which will be addressed with a full summary. The review further vehemently highlights the advances in tin oxide and its composites in the gas sensing field. Further, the structural components, structural features and surface chemistry involved in the gas sensing are also explained. In addition, this review discusses the SnO₂ metal oxide and its composites and unravels the complications in achieving high selectivity, high sensitivity and rapid response speed. The review begins with the gas sensing mechanisms, which are followed by the synthesis methods. Further key results and discussions of previous studies on tin metal oxide and its composites are also discussed. Moreover, achievements in recent research on tin oxide and its composites for sensor applications are then comprehensively compiled. Finally, the challenges and scope for future developments are discussed.     

Influence of SAM Quality on the Organic Semiconductor Thin Film Gas Sensors

Gas sensors based on organic semiconductors receive tremendous attentions owing to their advantages on high selectivity and room temperature operation. However, until now, most organic semiconductor based sensors still suffered from problems, such as low sensitivity, slow response/recovery speed and poor stability. In addition, a clear correlation between the sensing performance and the film property is still absent. Herein, we report the investigation on sensing performance of a series of organic films with various morphologies. By simply adjusting the quality of self-assembled monolayer(SAM) on the silicon wafer surface, we obtain organic semiconductor 6,13-bis(triisopropylsilylethynyl)pentacene (TIPS-pentacene) films with varied morphologies and different charge transport abilities. The film with a small grain size and a continuous morphology presents the highest sensing performance to NO₂, with a sensitivity up to 730%/ppm(ppm=parts per million, vo-lume ratio). We thus reveal that the high sensitivity of the organic film is evident related with the charge transport ability and initial conductivity of the films, as well as the morphologies of both modification layer and the active films.     

Recent advances in the application of nanomaterials in enzymatic glucose sensors

Due to the critical role of glucose level in the diagnosis and treatment of diabetes, as well as the increasing number of diabetics, there is an overwhelming demand for developing glucose sensors. It is well acknowledged that these sensors, especially those based on glucose oxidase, have played an important role in blood glucose detection. Inspired by the attractive properties, nanomaterials, especially nanostructured carbon and metal/metal oxides, have been extensively explored to develop enzymatic glucose sensors with high sensitivity, fast response time, and satisfied stability. In this review, a brief history of glucose biosensors is firstly presented. Furthermore, we discuss the currently available fabrication possesses in the field of enzymatic glucose biosensors based on nanomaterials, focusing on the carbon-based, metal-based, and metal oxides-based nanocomposites. What is more, we discuss the challenges and attempt to give an outlook on the possible further developments.     

纳米材料电化学与生物传感器——有机微污染物检测新途径

本文介绍了近年来纳米材料电化学与生物传感器在有机微污染物检测中的研究现状,分析了这些传感器中纳米材料修饰电极的特点,重点阐述了纳米材料在有机微污染物检测中的重要作用,列举了一些纳米材料电化学与生物传感器在有机微污染物检测中的应用。最后对纳米材料电化学与生物传感器用于有机微污染物的检测研究进行了简要评述和展望。     

金属氧化物异质结气体传感器气敏增强机理

金属氧化物异质结由于费米能级效应、不同组分之间的协同作用,常被用来提高电阻型金属氧化物半导体气体传感器的气敏特性。本文简述了近年来国内外金属氧化物异质结材料的类别,主要分为混合氧化物结构、层状结构、第二相粒子修饰结构、一维纳米结构和核-壳结构;重点综述了金属氧化物异质结的气敏增强机理,包括异质结效应、协同效应、催化溢流效应、响应反型、载流子分离及微结构调控六大机理;分析了当前异质结气体传感器面临的瓶颈。最后对纳米异质结气体传感器的发展进行了展望,今后金属氧化物异质结气体传感器可以从明确异质结界面机理展开,这将为自下而上地设计出符合实际需要的气体传感器提供一定参考。     

Recent Advances in Electrochemical Sensors Based on Molecularly Imprinted Polymers and Nanomaterials

This review focuses on the recent achievement during period of 2013–2018 related to the electrochemical sensors based on molecularly imprinted polymers (MIPs) combined with nanomaterials for various kinds of applications. MIPs based electrochemical sensors have found a great interest due to their high stability, short time required for electropolymerization, and high specificity towards the target analyte. The sensitivity is considered as one of the important parameter in electrochemical sensing strategies that should be improved by the combination of highly conductive nanomaterials with selective MIPs. In general, the most employed nanomaterials are magnetic nanoparticles, gold nanoparticles (AuNPs), carbon nanotubes and graphene. This review discusses the main current achievement as well as the current challenges regarding the development of biomimetic sensors in electroanalysis.     

High-Performance Sensor Based on Thin-Film Metallic Glass/Ultra-nanocrystalline Diamond/ZnO Nanorod Heterostructures for Detection of Hydrogen Gas at Room Temperature

This article outlines a novel material to enable the detection of hydrogen gas. The material combines thin-film metallic glass (TFMG), ultra-nanocrystalline diamond (UNCD), and ZnO nanorods (ZNRs) and can be used as a device for effective hydrogen gas sensing. Three sensors were fabricated by using combinations of pure ZNRs (Z), UNCD/ZNRs (DZ), and TFMG/UNCD/ZNRs (MDZ). The MDZ device exhibited a performance superior to the other configurations, with a sensing response of 34 % under very low hydrogen gas concentrations (10 ppm) at room temperature. Remarkably, the MDZ-based sensor exhibits an ultra-high sensitivity of 60.5 % under 500 ppm H₂. The MDZ sensor proved very fast in terms of response time (20 s) and recovery time (35 s). In terms of selectivity, the sensors were particularly suited to hydrogen gas. The sensor achieved the same response performance even after two months, thereby demonstrating the superior stability. It is postulated that the superior performance of MDZ can be attributed to defect-related adsorption as well as charge carrier density. This paper also discusses the respective energy band models of these heterostructures and also the interface effect on the gas sensing enhancements. The results indicate that the proposed hybrid TFMG/UNCD/ZNRs nanostructures could be utilized as high-performance hydrogen gas sensors.     

Hydrothermal synthesis of hierarchical SnO2 nanomaterials for high-efficiency detection of pesticide residue

Acephate pesticide contamination in agricultural production has caused serious human health problems. Metal oxide semiconductor (MOS) gas sensor can be used as a portable and promising alternative tool for efficiently detection of acephate. In this study, hierarchical assembled SnO₂ nanosphere, SnO₂ hollow nanosphere and SnO₂ nanoflower were synthesized respectively as high efficiency sensing materials to build rapid and selective acephate pesticide residues sensors. The morphologies of different SnO₂ 3D nanostructures were characterized by various material characterization technology. The sensitive performance test results of the 3D SnO₂ nanomaterials towards acephate show that hollow nanosphere SnO₂ based sensor displayed preferable sensitivity, selectivity, and rapid response (9 s) properties toward acephate at the optimal working temperature (300 °C). This SnO₂ hollow nanosphere based gas sensor represents a useful tool for simple and highly effective monitoring of acephate pesticide residues in food and environment. According to the characterization results, particularly Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) and Ultraviolet-Visible Spectroscopy (UV–vis), the obvious and fast response can be attributed to the mesoporous hollow nanosphere structure and appropriate band gap of SnO₂ hollow nanosphere.     

Gas Sensors Based on Single-Wall Carbon Nanotubes

Single-wall carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) have a high aspect ratio, large surface area, good stability and unique metallic or semiconducting electrical conductivity, they are therefore considered a promising candidate for the fabrication of flexible gas sensors that are expected to be used in the Internet of Things and various portable and wearable electronics. In this review, we first introduce the sensing mechanism of SWCNTs and the typical structure and key parameters of SWCNT-based gas sensors. We then summarize research progress on the design, fabrication, and performance of SWCNT-based gas sensors. Finally, the principles and possible approaches to further improving the performance of SWCNT-based gas sensors are discussed.     

Topical advances in nanomaterials based electrochemical sensors for resorcinol detection

The ever-increasing environmental pollution is a severe threat to the ecosystem’s healthy sustainability, and therefore environmental monitoring of these pollutants has become a burning issue throughout the world. In recent years, cost-effective, selective, portable, sensitive, and rapid sensing devices must be developed in urgent need. Advancement in nanotechnology has urged the use of different types of nanomaterials as an excellent electrode material to amplify the electrochemical detection in terms of long-term stability and electrocatalytic activity of the electrochemical sensors in addition to fulfill the aforementioned desires. This review article intimates significant advancement in developing the enzymatic and non-enzymatic electrochemical sensors based on different nanomaterials for the detection of resorcinol (RS) in the absence or presence of other phenolic compounds. This also concludes the current associated challenges as well as future perspectives for the analysis of RS in the environment. There is plethora of reported articles on RS sensors, but this review mainly discusses the selective reports on the applications of RS sensors.     

Smart nano-architectures as potential sensing tools for detecting heavy metal ions in aqueous matrices

The discharge of heavy metal ions into water resources as a result of human activities has become a global issue. Contamination with heavy metal ions poses a major threat to the environment and human health. Therefore, there is a dire need to probe the presence of heavy metal ions in a more selective, facile, quick, cost-effective and sensitive way. Conventional sensors are being utilized to sense heavy metal ions; however, various challenges and limitations like interference, overlapping of oxidation potential, selectivity and sensitivity are associated with them that limit their in-field applicability. Hence, nanomaterial based chemical sensors have emerged as an alternative substitute and are extensively employed for the detection of heavy metal ions as a potent analytical tool. The incorporation of nanomaterials in sensors increases their sensitivity, selectivity, portability, on-site detection capability and device performance. Nanomaterial based electrodes exhibit enhanced performance because surface of electrode at nano-scale level offers high catalytic potential, large active surface area and high conductivity. Therefore, this review addresses the recent progress on chemical sensors based on different nanomaterials such as carbon nanotubes (CNTs), metal nanoparticles, graphene, carbon quantum dots and nanocomposites for sensing heavy metals ions using different sensing approaches. Furthermore, various types of optical sensors such as fluorescence, luminescence and colorimetry sensors have been presented in detail.     

Nanomaterial-based functional scaffolds for amperometric sensing of bioanalytes

Functional nanomaterials have emerged as promising candidates in the development of an amperometric sensing platform for the detection and quantification of bioanalytes. The remarkable characteristics of nanomaterials based on metal and metal oxide nanoparticles, carbon nanotubes, and graphene ensure enhanced performance of the sensors in terms of sensitivity, selectivity, detection limit, response time, and multiplexing capability. The electrocatalytic properties of these functional materials can be combined with the biocatalytic activity of redox enzymes to develop integrated biosensing platforms. Highly sensitive and stable miniaturized amperometric sensors have been developed by integrating the nanomaterials and biocatalyst with the transducers. This review provides an update on recent progress in the development of amperometric sensors/biosensors using functional nanomaterials for the sensing of clinically important metabolites such as glucose, cholesterol, lactate, and glutamate, immunosensing of cancer biomarkers, and genosensing.     

《新型二维纳米材料》专辑序言——新型二维纳米材料:掀起未来技术革命

Two-dimensional(2D) nanomaterials possess sheet-like structures with the thickness of nanoscale, but the lateral size is infinite. In 2004, Andre Geim and co-workers at the University of Manchester successfully exfoliated a sheet of graphene from graphite by the micromechanical cleavage technique, which marked the beginning of 2D nanomaterials. Given the ultrahigh carrier mobility, excellent mechanical property, good thermal stability, superior thermal conductivities and huge specific surface area of graphene, it causes general exploration of other graphene-like 2D nanomaterials.===The 2D feature is unique to access unprecedented physical, chemical, electronic and optical properties. For example, the electron confinement in two dimensions makes them ideal candidates for the fundamental study in condensed matter physics and electronic/optoelectronic devices; the large lateral size endows them with huge surface area and high exposure of active sites. Due to their unique properties, 2D nanomaterials have promising applications in energy storage and conversion, electronic devices, catalytic reaction, sensing and biomedicine. By now, nearly 20 types of 2D nanomaterials have been studied, such as graphene, graphitic carbon nitride(g-C₃N₄), transition metal dichalcogenides(TMDs), transition metal carbides/nitrides(MXenes), layered double hydroxides(LDHs), transition metal oxides(TMOs), Ⅲ to Ⅵ layered semiconductor(MX₄), and perovskite-type hybrids(AMX₃).===In this special issue of the novel 2D nanomaterials, we selected 12 related articles in reviews, research papers and brief communications involving supercapacitor, electrochemical catalysis, sensing, battery, fluorescence, water treatment and antiflaming performance of 2D nanomaterials. We hope that readers will have a deep understanding of the current development of 2D nanomaterials, and find it beneficial to their future researches.===Toward this end, I greatly appreciate the outstanding contribution of all authors, as well as the strenuous efforts from the editorial staff members.     

Significance of nanomaterials in electrochemical sensors for nitrate detection: A review

Nanomaterial-enabled electrochemical sensors are designed as an economical, efficient, and user-friendly analytical tool for on-site and routine nitrate analysis over a wide range of environmental samples. The remarkable advances and tunable attributes of nanomaterials have greatly improved the analytical performance of electrochemical nitrate sensors. In this review, a comprehensive elucidation of the recent advances in nanomaterial-based electrochemical nitrate sensors is presented. The review firstly provides a general introduction, followed by typical electrochemical sensing methods. The next two sections detail various nanomaterials, including graphene derivatives, carbon nanotubes/fibers, metal/bimetal/metal oxide nanoparticles, and conducting polymers for modifying electrodes in enzymatic and non-enzymatic electrochemical nitrate sensors. Finally, the perspectives and current challenges in achieving real-world applications of nanomaterial-based electrochemical nitrate sensors are outlined.     

基于低温等离子体辅助催化发光的乙烯传感器

将等离子体的高活化性能与催化发光的传感特性相结合,以成本低、合成简单的碱土金属纳米MgO为传感材料,构建了基于低温等离子体辅助的催化发光传感器,用于乙烯的快速检测.由于等离子体具有高活化性能,本方法的检测温度远低于传统的催化发光检测法的常用温度(300~500℃),无需加热装置,在室温下实现了对乙烯快速、灵敏的检测.室温(25℃)下,对乙烯的检出限为37 ng/mL (30 ppm),线性范围为112~4997 ng/mL (90~3998 ppm, R=0.97669),传感器具有良好的选择性和重现性.此传感器制备简单、稳定性高、低能耗、成本低,与传统的气体检测方法相比具有良好的实用性和普适性,为开发性能优异的新型催化发光传感器提供了策略.     

Nanomaterials in Electrochemical Sensing Area: Applications and Challenges in Food Analysis

Recently, nanomaterials have received increasing attention due to their unique physical and chemical properties, which make them of considerable interest for applications in many fields, such as biotechnology, optics, electronics, and catalysis. The development of nanomaterials has proven fundamental for the development of smart electrochemical sensors to be used in different application fields such, as biomedical, environmental, and food analysis. In fact, they showed high performances in terms of sensitivity and selectivity. In this report, we present a survey of the application of different nanomaterials and nanocomposites with tailored morphological properties as sensing platforms for food analysis. Particular attention has been devoted to the sensors developed with nanomaterials such as carbon-based nanomaterials, metallic nanomaterials, and related nanocomposites. Finally, several examples of sensors for the detection of some analytes present in food and beverages, such as some hydroxycinnamic acids (caffeic acid, chlorogenic acid, and rosmarinic acid), caffeine (CAF), ascorbic acid (AA), and nitrite are reported and evidenced.