Smart sensing has become a key future development trend in medical diagnosis and the safety of edible agricultural products. Among them, metal oxide semiconductor chemiresistive sensors are gradually demonstrating promising practical applications due to their low cost, small size, ease of integration, and high sensitivity. However, the application of this technology in the field of biomarker gas detection still suffers from limitations, including high operating temperatures, insufficient detection limits, and low accuracy.
To address these key issues, we adopted a research idea focused on collaboratively improving electronic structure and surface activity via tunable oxygen vacancies. MoO_3-x and ZnO_1-x-based gas sensors for detecting the biomarker gases (TMA and NH₃) were designed and developed. These gas sensors can effectively operate at room temperature and exhibit excellent sensitivity, detection range, selectivity, and operational stability. Experimental, DFT, and MD studies revealed the synergistic effect of micro/nanostructures and oxygen vacancies on enhancing the room-temperature gas sensing capability. Additionally, their practical application potential was confirmed. This work will provide new gas sensors for electronic nose technology, which can realize low power consumption, stable operation, and high-precision detection.

semiconductor gas sensor,metal oxide,surface functionalization,nanomaterials