Gas sensor development has taken a dive from bulky and expensive to the promise of an affordable, flexible option made with organic semiconductor (OSC) gas sensors. The new design, proposed by the Incheon team led by Yeong Don Park, has set out to take OSC NO2 sensor technology to the next level. Their innovative strategy involves the creation of a hybrid organic-inorganic gas sensor using a conductive organic polymer and perovskite nanocrystals.

Revolutionary Design

The team incorporated a CsPbBr3 perovskite into a conductive polymer matrix and further modified the surface of the perovskite nanocrystals with zwitterionic polymer ligands. This approach greatly improved the affinity of the sensor for NO2 gas molecules, resulting in improved absorption. Experiments revealed that the proposed design outperformed conventional sensors in terms of chemical sensitivity to NO2 and was highly resistant to oxidation, thanks to the protective action of the perovskite nanocrystals.

The gas sensors represent not only an advancement in industrial safety but also in the realms of food safety, chemical substance monitoring, and medical diagnosis. It also paves the way for individuals to easily access information about air pollution levels through commonplace devices like smartwatches, leading to a much wider adoption of gas sensors in various contexts.