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Surface Modified Nanoparticles: For Gas and Chemical Sensors
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Surface Modified Nanoparticles: For Gas and Chemical Sensors

A special issue of Coatings (ISSN 2079-6412). This special issue belongs to the section "Surface Characterization, Deposition and Modification".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 June 2025 | Viewed by 12290

Special Issue Editor

Prof. Dr. Yongheng Zhu

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
College of Food Science and Techonology, Shanghai Ocean University, Shanghai, China
Interests: functionalised nano-particles; materials characterization; photocatalysis; studies of sensitive coatings for chemical QCM sensors, gas sensor; nondestructive detection; food safety; intelligent diagnostics for artworks; studies for sensing mechanisms and detection principles

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

With the fast advances in the application of nanoparticles, considerable efforts have been devoted to producing surface-modified nanoparticle composites to achieve integrated performance with synergic effects for applications in various fields, including gas sensors, chemical sensors, catalysts, food applications, energy conversion, and storage. Driven by state-of-the-art research advancements in experimental, theoretical, and novel principles and mechanisms, the development of surface/interface performance in terms of surface-modified nanoparticle viewpoints is expected for various novel applications. As one of the most exploited research scopes in the field of interface science and engineering, an in-depth study of the coupling effects of surface-modified nanoparticles and their application for different areas has seen a huge increase in demand. This Special Issue focuses on surface-modified nanoparticles and their applications in gas sensors, chemical sensors, catalysts, and so on. It aims to promote original works that demonstrate significant progress beyond the current state of the art in these fields, along with applicability to solve meaningful analytical problems.

In particular, the topic of interest includes but is not limited to:

  • Surface-modified nanoparticles and material characterizations;
  • Nanostructured materials for gas sensor applications;
  • Chemical sensors (microfluidic paper analytical devices (μ-PADs) or other biochips) based on surface-modified nanoparticles;
  • Development and application of mass-sensitive transducers;
  • Sensing principles and mechanisms of gas sensors and chemical sensors;
  • Exploring new and efficient catalysts based on surface-modified nanoparticles;
  • Food applications (antimicrobial packaging, improving effectiveness and stability) based on surface-modified nanoparticles.
Prof. Dr. Yongheng Zhu
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Coatings is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

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Published Papers (6 papers)

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Research

11 pages, 3979 KiB  
Article
Development and Performance of ZnO/MoS2 Gas Sensors for NO2 Monitoring and Protection in Library Environments
by Jia Wang, Yuting Xu, Canxin Tian, Yunjiang Yu and Changwei Zou
Coatings 2024, 14(11), 1438; https://doi.org/10.3390/coatings14111438 - 12 Nov 2024
Viewed by 444
Abstract
The presence of harmful oxidizing gases accelerates the oxidation of cellulose fibers in paper, resulting in reduced strength and fading ink. Therefore, the development of highly sensitive NO2 gas sensors for monitoring and protecting books holds significant practical value. In this manuscript, [...] Read more.
The presence of harmful oxidizing gases accelerates the oxidation of cellulose fibers in paper, resulting in reduced strength and fading ink. Therefore, the development of highly sensitive NO2 gas sensors for monitoring and protecting books holds significant practical value. In this manuscript, ZnO/MoS2 composites were synthesized using sodium molybdate and thiourea as raw materials through a hydrothermal method. The morphology and microstructure were characterized by X-ray diffraction analysis (XRD), energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS), field emission scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The ZnO/MoS2 composite exhibited a flower-like structure, with ZnO nanoparticles uniformly attached to the surface of MoS2, demonstrating advantages such as high specific surface area and good uniformity. The gas sensitivity of the ZnO/MoS2 nanocomposites reached its peak at 260 °C, with a sensitivity value around 3.5, which represents an improvement compared to pure ZnO, while also enhancing sensitivity. The resistance of the ZnO/MoS2 gas sensor remained relatively stable in air, exhibiting short response times during transitions between air and NO2 environments while consistently returning to a stable state. In addition to increasing adsorption capacity and improving light utilization efficiency, the formation of hetero-junctions at the ZnO-MoS2 interface creates an internal electric field that effectively promotes the rapid separation of photo-generated charge carriers within ZnO, thereby extending carrier lifetime. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Surface Modified Nanoparticles: For Gas and Chemical Sensors)
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13 pages, 7085 KiB  
Article
Thymol-Functionalized Silica Nanomaterials Prepared by Post-Grafting Method: Preparation, Characterization, Bactericidal Activity and Mechanism Research
by Liang Wang, Tianjun Ni and Shiqin Wei
Coatings 2023, 13(1), 86; https://doi.org/10.3390/coatings13010086 - 3 Jan 2023
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1663
Abstract
In this study, thymol was covalently connected to mesoporous silica nanomaterial by a post-grafting method to obtain a stable antibacterial system, thus overcoming the volatilization of thymol, prolonging the effective time of antibacterial action, and enhancing the antibacterial efficiency of thymol. It was [...] Read more.
In this study, thymol was covalently connected to mesoporous silica nanomaterial by a post-grafting method to obtain a stable antibacterial system, thus overcoming the volatilization of thymol, prolonging the effective time of antibacterial action, and enhancing the antibacterial efficiency of thymol. It was proposed for the first time that such a synthetic route be adopted to synthesize silica-based mesoporous/essential oil antibacterial materials. The post-grafting method could be capable of retaining the mesoporous original structure, which could effectively avoid the porosity reduction and disordered products caused by condensation. Among them, the minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC) of functionalized MCM-41 (silica support) for E. coli and S. aureus were 0.3 mg mL−1 and 0.4 mg mL−1, which were equivalent to 3/4 and 4/5 of free thymol (0.4 mg mL−1 and 0.5 mg mL−1), respectively. Meanwhile, the MBC of functionalized SBA-15 (silica support) for E. coli and S. aureus were both 0.2 mg mL−1, which also reduced the MBC of free thymol. These results revealed thymol-functionalized mesoporous silica nanomaterial could efficiently improve the bactericidal activities of the organic component. Finally, the inhibition mechanism of the post-grafting strategy was also discussed, which referred to how the antibacterial material directly acts on the cell membrane, resulting in cell inactivation. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Surface Modified Nanoparticles: For Gas and Chemical Sensors)
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16 pages, 7742 KiB  
Article
Zein-Functionalized MCM-41 Silica Nanoparticles with Enzyme-Responsive for Controlled Release in Antibacterial Activity
by Huimin Sun, Yuyang Lu, Jie Sheng and Yishan Song
Coatings 2023, 13(1), 57; https://doi.org/10.3390/coatings13010057 - 28 Dec 2022
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 2005
Abstract
This research provided a novel enzyme-responsive antimicrobial carrier aiming at overcoming the volatile loss of active antibacterial components, by employing mesoporous silica nanoparticles (MCM-41) as the matrix of encapsulation and Zein as the molecular gate. Since Zein could be consumed by bacteria, Zein-functionalized [...] Read more.
This research provided a novel enzyme-responsive antimicrobial carrier aiming at overcoming the volatile loss of active antibacterial components, by employing mesoporous silica nanoparticles (MCM-41) as the matrix of encapsulation and Zein as the molecular gate. Since Zein could be consumed by bacteria, Zein-functionalized MCM-41 acted as an enzyme-responsive gate and improved the controlled-release capacity. The results showed that the amount of capsaicin released from Zein-functionalized MCM-41 without bacteria was quite low compared with the essential oils liberated with bacteria. This validated that the delivery of capsaicin was hampered by Zein and the existence of Escherichia coli (E. coli) and Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) promoted the release of encapsulated cargo. The release rate of capsaicin in Zein-functionalized MCM-41 climbed with the growth velocity of bacteria. These functions were realized in the form of controlled diffusion of essential oils encapsulated in MCM-41 by electrostatic interaction, and Zein was performed by both covalent bonding interaction and electrostatic interaction. Zein-functionalized MCM-41 was 2.4 times more effective in killing E. coli and 1.2 times more effective in inhibiting S. aureus than an equal amount of free capsaicin, and possessed a long-lasting antibacterial activity. The responsive antimicrobial material might be used as a promising preservative in the food industry for antimicrobial activity enhancement. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Surface Modified Nanoparticles: For Gas and Chemical Sensors)
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14 pages, 6864 KiB  
Article
Defective ZnO Nanoflowers Decorated by Ultra-Fine Pd Clusters for Low-Concentration CH4 Sensing: Controllable Preparation and Sensing Mechanism Analysis
by Yang Chen, Wenshuang Zhang, Na Luo, Wei Wang and Jiaqiang Xu
Coatings 2022, 12(5), 677; https://doi.org/10.3390/coatings12050677 - 15 May 2022
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 1898
Abstract
To detect low concentration of CH4 is indeed meaningful in industrial manufacturing, such as the petrochemical industry and natural gas catalysis, but it is not easy to detect low concentration of CH4 due to its high symmetrical and stable structure. In [...] Read more.
To detect low concentration of CH4 is indeed meaningful in industrial manufacturing, such as the petrochemical industry and natural gas catalysis, but it is not easy to detect low concentration of CH4 due to its high symmetrical and stable structure. In this work, defect-rich ZnO1−x nanoflowers (NFs) were synthesized by a two-step route so as to obtain defect-enhanced gas-sensing performance, namely hydrothermal synthesis followed by H2 treatment. In order to achieve low-concentration detection of CH4, the ultra-thin Pd clusters’ (Cs, diameter about 1–2 nm) sensitizer was synthesized and decorated onto the surface of ZnO1−x NFs. It is found that Pd Cs-2/ZnO1−x gas sensors show enhanced gas-sensing properties to CH4, even at ppm concentration level. At its optimal working temperature of 260 °C, the gas response to 50 ppm CH4 can reach 5.0 with good gas selectivity; the response and recovery time is only 16.2 and 13.8 s, respectively. In the Results, we discussed the CH4 gas-sensing mechanism deeply. Overall, it is very necessary to detect low-concentration methane safely. It is possible for further safe detection of low-concentration methane gas in the future. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Surface Modified Nanoparticles: For Gas and Chemical Sensors)
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15 pages, 14986 KiB  
Article
Preparation and Enhanced Antimicrobial Activity of Thymol Immobilized on Different Silica Nanoparticles with Application in Apple Juice
by Yuhao Liu, Xutao Li, Jie Sheng, Yuyang Lu, Huimin Sun, Qixiang Xu, Yongheng Zhu and Yishan Song
Coatings 2022, 12(5), 671; https://doi.org/10.3390/coatings12050671 - 14 May 2022
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 2687
Abstract
In order to diminish the application limitations of essential oils (EOs) as natural antimicrobial components in the food industry, novel antimicrobial materials were designed and prepared by immobilization of thymol derivatives on silica particles with different morphologies (hollow mesoporous silica nanoparticles, MCM-41, amorphous [...] Read more.
In order to diminish the application limitations of essential oils (EOs) as natural antimicrobial components in the food industry, novel antimicrobial materials were designed and prepared by immobilization of thymol derivatives on silica particles with different morphologies (hollow mesoporous silica nanoparticles, MCM-41, amorphous silica). The structural characteristics of antimicrobial materials were estimated by FESEM, FT-IR, TGA, N2 adsorption-desorption, and small-angle XRD, and the results revealed that both mesoporous silica nanoparticles maintained the orderly structures and had good immobilization yield. Furthermore, the antibacterial performance tests showed that mesoporous silica nanoparticles greatly enhanced the antimicrobial activity of thymol against two representative foodborne bacteria (Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus), and the application of the antimicrobial support was tested in apple juices inoculated with E. coli. The MBC of functionalized mesoporous silica supports was established to be below 0.1 mg/mL against E. coli and S. aureus, which is much lower than that of free thymol (0.3 mg/mL and 0.5 mg/mL against E. coli and S. aureus, respectively). In addition, at a range from 0.05 mg/mL to 0.2 mg/mL, immobilized hollow mesoporous silica nanoparticles (HMSNs) can inhibit the growth of E. coli in apple juice and maintain good sensory properties during 7 days of storage. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Surface Modified Nanoparticles: For Gas and Chemical Sensors)
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12 pages, 2890 KiB  
Article
Colorimetric Measurement of Deltamethrin Pesticide Using a Paper Sensor Based on Aggregation of Gold Nanoparticles
by Jingyang Zhu, Lifeng Yin, Weiyi Zhang, Meilian Chen, Dongsheng Feng, Yong Zhao and Yongheng Zhu
Coatings 2022, 12(1), 38; https://doi.org/10.3390/coatings12010038 - 29 Dec 2021
Cited by 10 | Viewed by 2471
Abstract
Deltamethrin (DEL) is one of the most commonly used pyrethroid pesticides that can cause serious harms to the ecological environment and human health. Herein, we have developed a paper-based colorimetric sensor impregnated with gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) for on-site determination of DEL pesticide. AuNPs [...] Read more.
Deltamethrin (DEL) is one of the most commonly used pyrethroid pesticides that can cause serious harms to the ecological environment and human health. Herein, we have developed a paper-based colorimetric sensor impregnated with gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) for on-site determination of DEL pesticide. AuNPs show obvious color change on paper device with the presence of DEL. Measuring the gray intensity of the AuNPs on the reaction zone of the paper sensor allows accurate quantitative analysis. The detection mechanism of DEL on paper sensor was confirmed by UV-Vis spectrophotometry (UV-Vis), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), and transmission electron microscope (TEM). Under optimal conditions, the colorimetric sensor exhibited high sensitivity, rapid detection, and low detection limit within the values stipulated by Chinese detection standards (LOD = 0.584 mg/L). Besides, detecting DEL in vegetable and fruit samples also gave satisfying results, which were much consistent with those obtained by spectrophotometry. Overall, this work provided a user-friendly, cost-effective and visualized detection platform, which could be applied to rapidly detect DEL pesticides in the food safety field. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Surface Modified Nanoparticles: For Gas and Chemical Sensors)
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