sensormaterial

Sensormaterial, or sensor material, denotes the active material in a sensor that directly interacts with the measurand and converts it into a signal that can be measured. Depending on the sensor type, sensormaterials can be semiconducting, conductive, catalytic, electroactive, or optically active. The choice of material determines sensitivity, selectivity, operating environment, response speed, and stability.

Common classes include inorganic metal oxides such as SnO2, ZnO, TiO2, and WO3 used in chemiresistive and electrochemical gas sensors; silicon and silicon-based materials used in microelectromechanical systems and electronic sensors; carbon-based materials such as graphene, carbon nanotubes, and diamond for high conductivity and surface area; metallic films and conducting polymers for electrochemical and optical sensing; and organic and hybrid materials including perovskites, organic semiconductors, and metal-organic frameworks for selective sensing and optical transduction.

Sensor materials are selected to match transduction mode: electrochemical, chemiresistive, potentiometric, amperometric, or optical sensing. Optical sensing uses materials with strong optical responses (quantum dots, dye-doped polymers). Porous and nanostructured architectures increase surface area and enhance interactions with the target analyte, improving performance in many sensor types.

Fabrication methods include sputtering, chemical vapor deposition (CVD), atomic layer deposition (ALD), sol-gel, electrodeposition, and inkjet or spin coating, often combined with microfabrication and surface functionalization to improve selectivity with receptors, enzymes, or molecularly imprinted polymers.

Key challenges include cross-sensitivity, stability under environmental conditions, reproducibility, and integration with electronics. Ongoing research aims to develop hybrid and nanostructured sensormaterials, flexible substrates, and scalable fabrication to reduce cost and improve performance across gas, chemical, biosensing and medical diagnostics.