(Invited) multi-Modal Nanoarray Sensors for Chemical Differentiation and Quantification
Authors: Gao Pu-Xian 
Published: September 2023

Integration of multiple sensors in a so-called sensor array platform allows multi-analyte detection and enhanced selectivity. However, the demanding requirement of device integration comes along with less than desired sophistication of electrical interconnects with increasing circuit complexity. In the past decade, we have been focused on establishing a multi-modal sensing platform based on a single nanostructured device. Such a single device platform can be operated with different modes such as photocurrent, resistance, potential, and impedance. These nanoarray sensors have been fabricated with a good scalability using vapor to solution phase depositions. The array composition could be rationally designed from pristine to heterogeneous across metals, ceramics, and polymers. Depending on the comprised material composition, decoration of nanoparticle sensitizers such as perovskite, metal oxide, or noble metal may enable drastic boosting of sensor performance under various gaseous mixtures such as nitrogen oxide (NOx), hydrocarbons (HCs), carbon mono-oxide (CO), and hydrogen in atmospheres. Toward mixed multi-analyte conditions, such a new chemical sensor allows differentiated detection as well as low-concentration quantification of multiple species in a single-device platform. Machine learning as driven by the multimodal sensor datasets is utilized to add and enhance the single sensor platform performance in terms of accuracy, detection range, and speciation differentiation.

References:

B. Zhang, J.Y. Sun, P.X. Gao, “Low Concentration NOx Gas Analysis using Single Bimodular ZnO Nanorod Sensor,” ACS Sensors, 2021, 6, 8, 2979–2987.

B. Zhang, P.X. Gao, “Single Chemical Sensor for Multi-Analyte Mixture Detection and Measurement: A Review,” International Journal of High Speed Electronics and Systems, 2021, 29(1-2), 2040008.

Y. Sun, U. Salahuddin, C. Zhu, P.X. Gao, “Medical Diagnosis Using Volatile Organic Compounds Sensors,” International Journal of High Speed Electronics and Systems, 2022, DOI: 10.1142/S0129156422400043.

Zhang, J.Y. Sun, M.Y. Ruan, P.X. Gao, “Tailoring Two-dimensional Nanomaterials by Structural Engineering for Chemical and Biological Sensing,” 2020, Sensors and Actuators Reports, DOI: 10.1016/j.snr.2020.100024.

B. Zhang,* H.-J. Lin,* H.Y. Gao, X.X. Lu, C.-Y. Nam, P.X. Gao, “Perovskite-nanoparticle-sensitized Ga2O3 nanorod arrays for highly selective and sensitive NO2 detection over O2 at high temperature,” 2020, J. Mater. Chem. A, DOI: 10.1039/D0TA02691C. (* equal contribution)

B. Zhang, J.Y. Sun, P.X. Gao, “Single Bimodular Sensor for Differentiated Detection of Multiple Oxidative Gas Analytes,” 2020, Adv. Mater. Technologies, DOI: 10.1002/admt.201901152.

B. Zhang, Y. Huang, R.D. Vinluan III, S. Wang, C. Cui, X. Lu, C. Peng, M. Zhang, J. Zheng, and P.X. Gao, “Enhancinig ZnO Nanowire Gas Sensors using Au/Fe2O3 Hybrid Nanoparticle Decoration” 2020, Nanotechnology, DOI: 10.1088/1361-6528/ab89cf.

S.B. Wang, Z. Ren, Y.B. Guo, P.X. Gao, “Nano-array integrated monolithic devices: toward rational materials design and functional performance by scalable self-assembly of nanostructures”, CrystEngComm, 2016, 18, 2980 - 2993.