Nanowires for Gas Sensors

Air pollution has become a global threatening issue, which is growing rapidly, and detecting and monitoring gases are critical both for industry and the environment. The currently existing, marketed gas sensors do not meet the specifications of sensitivity, selectivity, stability, affordability, miniaturized size, communication capability, and low-power consumption needed for their ubiquitous use. Nowadays, there is a growing need to develop and implement more effective and efficient gas sensing measures in several locations, and with low-cost sensors to improve people’s life. The development of gas sensors based on nanowires for air-quality monitoring is crucial, not only by the impact of toxic gases on human health but also by the commercial relevance of those devices in different economical activities. In this chapter, an overview of metal oxide, conducting polymer, metallic, and silicon nanowire-based gas sensors is given. The synthesis methods, effect of the nanowire diameter on sensing properties, gas sensing performance, and mechanisms are discussed.