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Nanosensors

Nanosensors are sensors that operate on the nanoscale to detect chemicals, particles, or physical parameters. They can be chemical or mechanical sensors used for medical diagnostics, pollution monitoring, studying plant biology and neurophysiology, and other applications. Nanosensors typically function by monitoring electrical changes when molecules interact with sensor materials like carbon nanotubes. This allows for detection at the single molecule level with goals of high sensitivity, specificity, and simple execution.

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312 views2 pages

Nanosensors

Nanosensors are sensors that operate on the nanoscale to detect chemicals, particles, or physical parameters. They can be chemical or mechanical sensors used for medical diagnostics, pollution monitoring, studying plant biology and neurophysiology, and other applications. Nanosensors typically function by monitoring electrical changes when molecules interact with sensor materials like carbon nanotubes. This allows for detection at the single molecule level with goals of high sensitivity, specificity, and simple execution.

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lvrevathi
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Nanosensors are platforms with a characteristic dimension - nanometer in scale, and work in

much the same way as a sensor; they detect either minute particles or miniscule quantities of
something.

“Nanosensors are chemical or mechanical sensors that can be used to detect the presence of
chemical species and nanoparticles, or monitor physical parameters such as temperature, on
the nanoscale.” They find use in medical diagnostic applications, food and water quality
sensing, and other chemicals.” (Nature)

Sensors will help us better understand the world we live in.

Aleksandra Lobnik, Founder of Centre for Sensor Technology at University of Maribor and
Co-founder of Institute of Sensors and Environmental Protection

Nanosensor Applications
Nanosensors can be chemical sensors or mechanical sensors. They are used:

 To detect various chemicals in gases for pollution monitoring


 For medical diagnostic purposes either as bloodborne sensors or in lab-on-a-chip type
devices
 To monitor physical parameters such as temperature, displacement and flow
 As accelerometers in MEMS devices like airbag sensors
 To monitor plant signaling and metabolism to understand plant biology
 To study neurotransmitters in brain for understanding neurophysiology

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Nanosensors aid in the progression of fields such as medical technology; precision


agriculture; urban farming; plant nanobionics; prognostics and diagnostics; SERS-based
sensors; and many industrial applications.

Nanosensors include:

 Carbon Nanotube–Based Fluorescent Nanosensors


 Quantum Dot–Based Fluorescent Nanosensors
 DNA-Based Fluorescent Nanosensors
 Peptide-Based Fluorescent Nanosensors
 Plasmon Coupling–Based Nanosensors
 Plasmonic Enhancing–/Quenching–Based Nanosensors
 Magnetic Resonance Imaging-Based Nanosensors
 Photoacoustic-Based Nanosensors
 Multimodal Nanosensors (synergistic nanosensors with multiple modalities to
overcome individual challenges)

How Nanosensors Work


An analyte, sensor, transducer and detector are the components of a sensor system, with
feedback from the detector to the sensor. Sensitivity, specificity and ease of execution are the
main goals in designing a sensor.

Nanosensors typically work by monitoring electrical changes in the sensor materials.

For example, carbon nanotube-based sensors work in this way. When a molecule of nitrogen
dioxide (NO2) is present, it will strip an electron from the nanotube, which in turn causes the
nanotube to be less conductive.

If ammonia (NO3) is present, it reacts with water vapor and donates an electron to the carbon
nanotube, making it more conductive. By treating the nanotubes with various coating
materials, they can be made sensitive to certain molecules and immune to others.

Like chemical nanosensors, mechanical nanosensors also tend to measure electrical changes.
The nanosensors used in the MEMS systems that car airbags depend upon are monitoring
changes in capacitance. These systems have a miniscule weighted shaft attached to a
capacitor. The shaft bends with changes in acceleration and this is measured as changes in
capacitance.

Nanosensors have been developed to the point of measurement at the single-molecule level.

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