Nanocarbon-based gas sensors: progress and challenges

Abstract

Novel materials based on nanocarbons (e.g., carbon nanotubes (CNTs) and graphene) have attracted much attention as sensing elements in miniaturized, low-power consumption, and ubiquitous electronic gas sensors due to their unique structural and electronic properties. This highlight discusses some recent progress in the research on nanocarbon-based electronic gas sensors, including CNTs, graphene, and their composites (i.e., nanocarbon–nanocrystal hybrids), identifies the technological barriers that impair their commercialization, and presents an outlook of the challenges and opportunities for the use of nanocarbon-based materials in next generation gas sensors.