Monitoring and detecting carbon monoxide (CO) are critical because this gas is toxic and harmful to the ecosystem. In this respect, designing high-performance gas sensors for CO detection is necessary. Zinc oxide-based materials are promising for use as CO sensors, owing to their good sensing response, electrical performance, cost-effectiveness, long-term stability, low power consumption, ease of manufacturing, chemical stability, and non-toxicity. Nevertheless, further progress in gas sensing requires improving the selectivity and sensitivity, and lowering the operating temperature. Recently, different strategies have been implemented to improve the sensitivity and selectivity of ZnO to CO, highlighting the doping of ZnO. Many studies concluded that doped ZnO demonstrates better sensing properties than those of undoped ZnO in detecting CO. Therefore, in this review, we analyze and discuss, in detail, the recent advances in doped ZnO for CO sensing applications. First, experimental studies on ZnO doped with transition metals, boron group elements, and alkaline earth metals as CO sensors are comprehensively reviewed. We then focused on analyzing theoretical and combined experimental–theoretical studies. Finally, we present the conclusions and some perspectives for future investigations in the context of advancements in CO sensing using doped ZnO, which include room-temperature gas sensing.

In the present work the effect of different factors in the synthesis of ZnO powders by the homogeneous precipitation method is analyzed. A robust statistical technique, Taguchi’s method, was used to reduce the experiments number. The variables studied were precursor, solvent and precipitating agent type, Zn molar concentration, percentage of saturation, speed and time of agitation, and temperature of synthesis. In order to optimize the particle size, an experimental design of 18 trials was proposed, according to L₁₈ Taguchi array. Structural and morphological properties were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning and transmission electron microscopy techniques (SEM and TEM). The estimated crystallite size in synthesized samples ranged from 32 to 57 nm. The morphologies obtained presented several forms, such as spheres, wires, flowers, bars, and tetrahedrons, with a particle size variation of 35 to 165 nm. In this work it is shown that using a statistical experimental design leads us to a fast and reliable optimization of the synthesis parameters for obtaining small size ZnO nanoparticles, thus optimizing time and human and materials resources.

Tomatoes are a fundamental part of the daily diet, rich in carbohydrates, vitamins, minerals, carotenoids, and polyphenols. Nonetheless, optimal fruit yield and quality typically depend on the application of synthetic agrochemicals. However, the irrational use of these agrochemicals has caused various environmental problems. Therefore, it is necessary to develop alternatives to conventional agrochemical products. Applying nanomaterials as fertilizers in tomato production is emerging as a promising approach, with documented improvements in germination, vegetative development, and fruit yield. Therefore, we present a comprehensive review of recent developments (2015–2024) in the application of nanomaterials in tomato crops, with a particular emphasis on the significance of nanomaterial characteristics in their role as fertilizers. Several types of nanomaterials, such as ZnO, Ag, TiO₂, Si, hydroxyapatite, P, Zn, Se, CuO, Cu, Fe, Fe₂O₃, CaO, CaCO₃, and S, have been evaluated as fertilizers for tomato crops, with ZnO nanoparticles being the most extensively studied. However, it is pertinent to conduct further research on the less-explored nanomaterials to gain a deeper understanding of their effects on seed germination, plant growth, and fruit quality and quantity.

The growing prevalence of plastic pollution has raised significant environmental concerns, particularly regarding microplastics and nanoplastics that persist in various ecosystems. As these particles accumulate in terrestrial environments, their potential impact on crop health and growth has become a growing area of focus. Ongoing studies show that microplastics and nanoplastics can disrupt various stages of crop development. Therefore, several studies are currently being conducted on the impact of microplastics and nanoplastics on the germination, growth, and productivity of various crops, highlighting the tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) crop. Although several studies have explored the effects of microplastics and nanoplastics on tomato crops, a comprehensive review of their impacts is still lacking. Therefore, this manuscript presents a detailed review regarding the influence of microplastics and nanoplastics on tomato cultivation. This review revealed that most studies have primarily focused on assessing the effects of microplastics on tomato crop germination, physiological growth, yield, and fruit quality. Therefore, it is essential to conduct further research addressing the impact of nanoplastics on these same aspects.