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Advanced Sensors in Atomic Level

A special issue of Sensors (ISSN 1424-8220). This special issue belongs to the section "Sensor Materials".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 25 June 2025 | Viewed by 2844

Special Issue Editors

School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
Interests: electrochemical sensors; semiconductor sensors; optical sensors; functional sensing nanomaterials; environmental monitoring; wireless sensor networks
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Guest Editor
School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
Interests: integrated circuits; micro/nanoelectronics; electrocatalysis; optoelectronic sensors

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The progress of modern information technology largely relies on the development of integrated circuits based on semiconductor silicon. Currently, due to inherent physical laws such as short-channel effects and limitations in manufacturing costs, further reducing the size of silicon transistors has become increasingly challenging. Integration and size reduction are crucial for sensors. Atomic-level materials have unique physical and chemical properties, bringing new possibilities for sensor development.

This Special Issue invites experts from relevant fields to share the latest progress including but not limited to the development of atomic-level materials (e.g., zero/one/two/three-dimensional materials, single-atom catalysts) for advanced sensors, detection technologies developed using atomic-level sensors, and detection technologies for atoms. Moreover, we also encourage the sharing of efforts made in applying these sensors in fields such as the environment, energy, health, and drugs to demonstrate their significant potential.

We invite the submission of original research papers, reviews, and perspectives that address the challenges and opportunities in this field. The topics of interest include but are not limited to the following:

Sensors developed based on atomic-level materials;

The design of atomic-sized sensor device structures;

Advanced sensors for detecting atoms;

Advanced integration of atomic-level sensors;

Applications of atomic-level sensors.

Dr. Zehui Li
Dr. Kunchan Wang
Guest Editors

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. Sensors is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly 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.

Keywords

  • advanced sensors
  • nanomaterials
  • sensor technologies
  • MEMS/NEMS
  • precise atomic regulation
  • environmental monitoring
  • medical monitoring
  • material detection
  • photoelectric detection

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Published Papers (4 papers)

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Research

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10 pages, 2740 KiB  
Communication
Yttrium Doping of Perovskite Oxide La2Ti2O7 Nanosheets for Enhanced Proton Conduction and Gas Sensing Under HighHumidity Levels
by Jian Wang, Caicai Sun, Jusheng Bao, Zhiwei Yang, Jian Zhang and Xiao Huang
Sensors 2025, 25(3), 901; https://doi.org/10.3390/s25030901 (registering DOI) - 2 Feb 2025
Viewed by 296
Abstract
Water molecules from the environment or human breath are one of the main factors affecting the accuracy, efficiency, and long-term stability of electronic gas sensors. In this contribution, yttrium (Y)-doped La2Ti2O7 (LTO) nanosheets were synthesized by a hydrothermal [...] Read more.
Water molecules from the environment or human breath are one of the main factors affecting the accuracy, efficiency, and long-term stability of electronic gas sensors. In this contribution, yttrium (Y)-doped La2Ti2O7 (LTO) nanosheets were synthesized by a hydrothermal reaction, demonstrating improved proton conductivity compared to their non-doped counterparts. The response of Y-doped LTO with the optimal doping concentration to 100 ppm NO2 at 43% relative humidity (RH) was −21%, which is four times higher than that of bare La2Ti2O7. As the humidity level increased to 75%, the response of Y-doped LTO further increased to −64%. Unlike the gas doping effect observed in previous studies of semiconducting metal oxides, the sensing mechanism of Y-doped LTO nanosheets is based on the enhanced dissociation of H2O in the presence of target NO2 molecules, leading to the generation of more protons for ion conduction. This also resulted in a greater resistance drop and thus a larger sensing response at elevated humidity levels. Our work demonstrates that proton-conductive oxide materials are promising gas-sensing materials under humid conditions. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Sensors in Atomic Level)
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15 pages, 11786 KiB  
Article
Improving the Selectivity of Metal Oxide Semiconductor Sensors for Mustard Gas Simulant 2-Chloroethyl Ethyl Sulfide by Combining the Laminated Structure and Temperature Dynamic Modulation
by Yadong Liu, Siyue Zhao, Lijuan You, Yong Xu, Renjun Si and Shunping Zhang
Sensors 2025, 25(2), 525; https://doi.org/10.3390/s25020525 - 17 Jan 2025
Viewed by 470
Abstract
Insufficient selectivity is a major constraint to the further development of metal oxide semiconductor (MOS) sensors for chemical warfare agents, and this paper proposed an improved scheme combining catalytic layer/gas-sensitive layer laminated structure with temperature dynamic modulation for the Mustard gas (HD) MOS [...] Read more.
Insufficient selectivity is a major constraint to the further development of metal oxide semiconductor (MOS) sensors for chemical warfare agents, and this paper proposed an improved scheme combining catalytic layer/gas-sensitive layer laminated structure with temperature dynamic modulation for the Mustard gas (HD) MOS sensor. Mustard gas simulant 2-Chloroethyl ethyl sulfide (2-CEES) was used as the target gas, (Pt + Pd + Rh)@Al2O3 as the catalytic layer material, (Pt + Rh)@WO3 as the gas-sensitive layer material, the (Pt + Pd + Rh)@Al2O3/(Pt + Rh)@WO3 sensor was prepared, and the sensor was tested for 2-CEES and 12 battlefield environment simulation gases under temperature dynamic modulation. The results showed that the sensor only showed obvious characteristic peaks in the resistance response curves to HD under certain conditions (100–400 °C, the highest temperature was held for 1 s and the lowest temperature was held for 2 s), and its peak height reached 6.12, which was far higher than other gases, thus realizing the high selectivity of the MOS sensor to 2-CEES. Meanwhile, the sensor also showed good sensitivity, detection limits, response/recovery times, anti-interference, and stability, which further verified the feasibility of the improved scheme. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Sensors in Atomic Level)
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Review

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18 pages, 4277 KiB  
Review
Sensor for a Solid–Liquid Tribological System
by Ruize Zhang, Zeyang Yu, Zhikai Fan, Shanshan Wang, Yihui Xiang, Yanfei Liu and Zhongnan Wang
Sensors 2025, 25(2), 437; https://doi.org/10.3390/s25020437 - 13 Jan 2025
Viewed by 375
Abstract
Solid–liquid lubrication systems have been widely used to enhance tribological behaviors. Alongside offering exceptional lubrication and wear-resistance performance, the active control of the tribological behavior of lubrication systems in accordance with service conditions is equally critical. To achieve this goal, accurately monitoring the [...] Read more.
Solid–liquid lubrication systems have been widely used to enhance tribological behaviors. Alongside offering exceptional lubrication and wear-resistance performance, the active control of the tribological behavior of lubrication systems in accordance with service conditions is equally critical. To achieve this goal, accurately monitoring the condition of the lubrication system is fundamental. This review article aims to provide a fundamental understanding of different sensors for monitoring the condition of lubricants, as well as the friction and wear properties. Specifically, the sensors suitable for engineering applications are detailed introduced. Through this review, we wish to provide researchers in mechanical engineering with a clear technical overview, which can guide the design of intelligent lubrication systems with suitable sensors. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Sensors in Atomic Level)
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27 pages, 3867 KiB  
Review
Recent Advances in Nanozyme-Based Sensing Technology for Antioxidant Detection
by Xin Cao, Tianyu Liu, Xianping Wang, Yueting Yu, Yangguang Li and Lu Zhang
Sensors 2024, 24(20), 6616; https://doi.org/10.3390/s24206616 - 14 Oct 2024
Viewed by 1145
Abstract
Antioxidants are substances that have the ability to resist or delay oxidative damage. Antioxidants can be used not only for the diagnosis and prevention of vascular diseases, but also for food preservation and industrial production. However, due to the excessive use of antioxidants, [...] Read more.
Antioxidants are substances that have the ability to resist or delay oxidative damage. Antioxidants can be used not only for the diagnosis and prevention of vascular diseases, but also for food preservation and industrial production. However, due to the excessive use of antioxidants, it can cause environmental pollution and endanger human health. It can be seen that the development of antioxidant detection technology is important for environment/health maintenance. It is found that traditional detection methods, including high performance liquid chromatography, gas chromatography, etc., have shortcomings such as cumbersome operation and high cost. In contrast, the nanozyme-based detection method features advantages of low cost, simple operation, and rapidity, which has been widely used in the detection of various substances such as glucose and antioxidants. This article focuses on the latest research progress of nanozymes for antioxidant detection. Nanozymes for antioxidant detection are classified according to enzyme-like types. Different types of nanozyme-based sensing strategies and detection devices are summarized. Based on the summary and analysis, one can find that the development of commercial nanozyme-based devices for the practical detection of antioxidants is still challenging. Some emerging technologies (such as artificial intelligence) should be fully utilized to improve the detection sensitivity and accuracy. This article aims to emphasize the application prospects of nanozymes in antioxidant detection and to provide new ideas and inspiration for the development of detection methods. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Sensors in Atomic Level)
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Planned Papers

The below list represents only planned manuscripts. Some of these manuscripts have not been received by the Editorial Office yet. Papers submitted to MDPI journals are subject to peer-review.

Title: Aggregation-induced emission materials for chemical and biological sensing
Authors: Leijing Liu*, Zhe Zhai, Bin Xu, Wenjing Tian
Affiliation: Jilin University
Abstract: Aggregation-induced emission (AIE) materials have emerged as a new class of fluorescent materials that exhibit enhanced emission in the aggregated state. This unique property overcomes the aggregation-caused quenching (ACQ) issue and opens up new possibilities for highly sensitive and selective sensing applications. This review focuses on the recent progress of AIE materials in the fields of chemical and biological sensing. The unique AIE phenomenon and its mechanism are introduced. The design and synthesis of various AIE - based sensors for detecting different chemical and biological analytes including biomolecules, ions, and small organic molecules are discussed. The applications of these sensors in areas such as disease diagnosis and environmental monitoring are also highlighted.

Title: Selective detection of mustard gas simulant 2-CEES based on characteristic peaks of laminated MOS sensors
Authors: Yadong Liu a, Siyue Zhao a, Lijuan You a, Yong Xu a, Renjun Si b, Shunping Zhang b
Affiliation: aInstitute of NBC Defence, Beijing 102205, PR China bState Key Laboratory of Material Processing and Die &Mould Technology, Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430074, PR China
Abstract: Poor selectivity is one of the main bottlenecks restricting the development of the metal oxide semiconductor (MOS) sensors. In this paper, using 2-CEES as the target gas, (Pt+Pd+Rh)@Al2O3 as the catalytic membrane material and (Pt+Rh)@WO3 as the gas sensitive membrane material, we have proposed a scheme to improve the selectivity of a catalytic membrane/gas sensitive membrane laminated MOS sensor under dynamic modulation of temperature. By testing 2-CEES and 12 kinds of battlefield environment simulation gases, the results showed that the (Pt+Pd+Rh)@Al2O3/(Pt+Rh)@WO3 sensor, under a certain condition of temperature dynamic modulation (variable temperature of 100 ℃ to 400 ℃ for the catalytic membrane, the highest temperature was held for 1 s, and the lowest temperature was held for 2 s), distinct characteristic peaks appeared on the G-T curves of the resistance response to 2-CEES only. The quantification of the characteristic peaks was performed by peak heights, and the peak height of 1 mg/m3 2-CEES was obtained up to 6.12, while the peak heights of the other gases at the same concentration were less than 1. The peak height of 2-CEES was significantly higher than that of other gases, which verified the high selectivity of the sensor for 2-CEES. Meanwhile, the sensor also showed good sensitivity, response/recovery time and stability for 2-CEES under the above temperature dynamic modulation. This work has provided an important reference for the selectivity improvement of MOS sensors for mustard.

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