Recent Advances in Perylene Diimide-Based Active Materials in Electrical Mode Gas Sensing

Abstract

This review provides an update on advances in the area of electrical mode sensors using organic small molecule n-type semiconductors based on perylene. Among small organic molecules, perylene diimides (PDIs) are an important class of materials due to their outstanding thermal, chemical, electronic, and optical properties, all of which make them promising candidates for a wide range of organic electronic devices including sensors, organic solar cells, organic field-effect transistors, and organic light-emitting diodes. This is mainly due to their electron-withdrawing nature and significant charge transfer properties. Perylene-based sensors of this type show high sensing performance towards various analytes, particularly reducing gases like ammonia and hydrazine, but there are several issues that need to be addressed including the selectivity towards a specific gas, the effect of relative humidity, and operating temperature. In this review, we focus on the strategies and design principles applied to the gas-sensing performance of PDI-based devices, including resistive sensors, amperometric sensors, and operating at room temperature. The device properties and sensing mechanisms for different analytes, focusing on hydrazine and ammonia, are studied in detail, and some future research perspectives are discussed for this promising field. We hope the discussed results and examples inspire new forms of molecular engineering and begin to open opportunities for other rylene diimide classes to be applied as active materials.

Effect of Ag Addition on the Gas-Sensing Properties of Nanostructured Resistive-Based Gas Sensors: An Overview

“…Therefore, the early detection of toxic gases using reliable electronic gas sensors is extremely important. In this respect, chemiresistive gas sensors are potentially attractive due to their easy manufacturing, simple operating principle, and low cost [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 , 6 , 7 , 8 , 9 , 10 ]. In the area of resistive-based gas sensors, different semiconducting materials can be used for the realization of gas sensors.…”

“…For example, the organic semiconducting materials such as organic π-conjugated materials have advantages of tailorable chemical structures, solution processability, and mechanical flexibility; thus, they are potential candidates for applications in low-cost, low-temperature, and portable gas sensors. Nonetheless, they have some shortages such as relatively poor sensitivity, slow response, and low recovery [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]. The functionalization of these materials with noble metals such as Ag through chemical methods can increase the response and selectivity to a particular gas; however, as far as we know, there is no or few studies in this regard.…”

“…Moreover, the decoration of Ag NPs onto TiO 2 NRs pinned the Fermi level of TiO 2 because of the transfer of electrons from TiO 2 to Ag. This led to surface band bending and induced a more pronounced electron-hole separation effect, thereby enhancing the sensitivity of the sensor to CH 3 Reprinted from reference [48] with permission from Elsevier.…”

Living ring‐opening metathesis polymerization of norbornenes bay‐functionalized perylene diimides

“…Its unique properties such as strong visible light absorption, high luminescence efficiency, and low‐lying frontier molecular orbital (FMO) energy levels represent the PDI unit to be an excellent class of scaffold for use in optoelectronic and photovoltaic applications 2,3 . As such well tunable PDI‐based derivatives have been widely utilized as n ‐type organic semiconducting non‐fullerene 4 or polymer acceptors in the design and fabrication of organic solar cells (OSCs), 5 organic light emitting diodes (OLEDs), 6 perovskites, 7 dye lasers, 8 sensors, 9,10 and bioimaging chromophores 11 . PDI‐based material can also be assembled into well‐defined ordered nanostructures such as fibers, rods, wires, and belts 12,13 .…”

Tungsten Disulfide Nanotube-Modified Conductive Paper-Based Chemiresistive Sensor for the Application in Volatile Organic Compounds’ Detection

“…Nanomaterials, such as 2D graphene, are quite effective for detecting low concentrations [ 16 , 17 ]. Materials such as perylene diimides have also been used for sensing some toxic gases, such as hydrazine and ammonia [ 18 ]. Graphene has excellent electrical, thermal, and mechanical properties, as well as a zero bandgap, which makes it a good choice for sensing.…”