Chemical Gas Sensors Based On Nanowires

TL;DR

This review discusses the development and performance of nanowire-based chemical gas sensors, highlighting their high sensitivity, fabrication methods, sensing mechanisms, and future research prospects.

Contribution

It provides a comprehensive summary of nanowire synthesis, sensor performance, mechanisms, and assembly technologies, offering insights into future research directions.

Findings

Nanowire sensors achieve ppb level sensitivity.

High surface-volume ratio enhances sensor performance.

Various fabrication and assembly methods are discussed.

Abstract

Chemical gas sensors based on nanowires can find a wide range of applications in clinical assaying, environmental emission control, explosive detection, agricultural storage and shipping, and workplace hazard monitoring. Sensors in the forms of nanowires are expected to have significantly enhanced performance due to high surface-volume ratio and quasi-one-dimensional confinement in nanowires. Indeed, chemical gas sensors based on nanowires with a ppb level sensitivity have been demonstrated. In this review, the fundamental aspects on (i) methods of nanowire synthesis (ii) performance of nanowire sensors, (iii) chemiresistors, transistor sensors, and their sensing mechanism, and (iv) assembly technologies will be summarized and discussed. The prospects of the future research on chemical gas sensors based on nanowires will be also addressed.