The effect of oxygen-vacancy-related defects on gas-sensing properties of ZnO-nanowire gas sensors was investigated. Gas sensors were fabricated by growing ZnO nanowires bridging the gap between two prepatterned Au catalysts. The sensor displayed fast response and recovery behavior with a maximum sensitivity to gas at . Gas sensitivity was found to be linearly proportional to the photoluminescence intensity of oxygen-vacancy-related defects in both as-fabricated and defect-controlled gas sensors by postannealing in Ar and atmosphere. This result agrees well with previous theoretical prediction that oxygen vacancies play a role of preferential adsorption sites for molecules.
Artificial olfaction based on gas sensor arrays aims to substitute for, support, and surpass human olfaction. Like mammalian olfaction, a larger number of sensors and more signal processing are crucial for strengthening artificial olfaction. Due to rapid progress in computing capabilities and machine‐learning algorithms, on‐demand high‐performance artificial olfaction that can eclipse human olfaction becomes inevitable once diverse and versatile gas sensing materials are provided. Here, rational strategies to design a myriad of different semiconductor‐based chemiresistors and to grow gas sensing libraries enough to identify a wide range of odors and gases are reviewed, discussed, and suggested. Key approaches include the use of p‐type oxide semiconductors, multinary perovskite and spinel oxides, carbon‐based materials, metal chalcogenides, their heterostructures, as well as heterocomposites as distinctive sensing materials, the utilization of bilayer sensor design, the design of robust sensing materials, and the high‐throughput screening of sensing materials. In addition, the state‐of‐the‐art and key issues in the implementation of electronic noses are discussed. Finally, a perspective on chemiresistive sensing materials for next‐generation artificial olfaction is provided.
30 September 2011 in Advanced Functional Materials