Recent research interest in two-dimensional (2D) materials has led to an emerging new group of materials known as transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs), which have significant electrical, optical, and transport properties. MoS2 is one of the well-known 2D materials in this group, which is a semiconductor with controllable band gap based on its structure. The hydrothermal process is known as one of the scalable methods to synthesize MoS2 nanostructures. In this study, the gas sensing properties of flower-shaped MoS2 nanoflakes, which were prepared from molybdenum trioxide (MoO3) by a facile hydrothermal method, have been studied. Material characterization was performed using X-ray diffraction, Brunauer–Emmett–Teller surface area measurements, elemental analysis using energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, and field-emission scanning electron microscopy. The gas sensing characteristics were evaluated under exposure to various concentrations of xylene and methanol vapors. The results reveal higher sensitivity and shorter response times for methanol at temperatures below 200 °C toward 200 to 400 ppm gas concentrations. The sensing mechanisms for both gases are discussed based on simulation results using density functional theory and charge transfer.
Semiconductor gas sensors have been developed so far on empirical bases, but now recent innovative materials for advancing gas sensor technology have been made available for further developments. Two-dimensional (2D) materials have gained immense attention since the advent of graphene. This attention inspired researchers to explore a new family of potential 2D materials. The superior structural, mechanical, optical and electrical properties of 2D materials made them attractive for next-generation smart device applications. There are considerable improvements and research studies on graphene, molybdenum disulfide (MoS2), tungsten disulfide (WS2), tin sulfide (SnS2), black phosphorus and other 2D materials in the field of sensing devices. These materials have been reported to be used perfectly for sensing target gases at parts per million and parts per billion levels. A wide variety of mechanisms have been reported as main functions of 2D materials in sensing the target gas in gas sensors – that is, semiconductor, field-effect transistor, optical, electrochemical and piezoelectric sensors. This review addresses the current experimental and theoretical approaches to studying 2D materials, their mechanism of sensing and possible developments in fabrication of ultrasensitive gas sensors, along with the challenges and issues in the fabrication of the gas sensors and their selectivity and stability challenges.
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