Issue 22, 2023

Gas nanosensors for health and safety applications in mining

Abstract

The ever-increasing demand for accurate, miniaturized, and cost-effective gas sensing systems has eclipsed basic research across many disciplines. Along with the rapid progress in nanotechnology, the latest development in gas sensing technology is dominated by the incorporation of nanomaterials with different properties and structures. Such nanomaterials provide a variety of sensing interfaces operating on different principles ranging from chemiresistive and electrochemical to optical modules. Compared to thick film and bulk structures currently used for gas sensing, nanomaterials are advantageous in terms of surface-to-volume ratio, response time, and power consumption. However, designing nanostructured gas sensors for the marketplace requires understanding of key mechanisms in detecting certain gaseous analytes. Herein, we provide an overview of different sensing modules and nanomaterials under development for sensing critical gases in the mining industry, specifically for health and safety monitoring of mining workers. The interactions between target gas molecules and the sensing interface and strategies to tailor the gas sensing interfacial properties are highlighted throughout the review. Finally, challenges of existing nanomaterial-based sensing systems, directions for future studies, and conclusions are discussed.

Graphical abstract: Gas nanosensors for health and safety applications in mining

Article information

Article type
Review Article
Submitted
11 jul 2023
Accepted
06 out 2023
First published
24 out 2023
This article is Open Access
Creative Commons BY license

Nanoscale Adv., 2023,5, 5997-6016

Gas nanosensors for health and safety applications in mining

M. Baharfar, J. Lin, M. Kilani, L. Zhao, Q. Zhang and G. Mao, Nanoscale Adv., 2023, 5, 5997 DOI: 10.1039/D3NA00507K

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