Porous Carbon-Based Sensors and Their Applications

Abstract

The demand for new sensors with specific and highly enhanced features has been on the rise today. Factors like sensitivity, response time, recovery rate, cost, size, ease of operation, and reliability play a crucial role in determining the quality of a sensor system. Although, currently, a large variety of sensors are available to monitor fluid flow, temperature, humidity, and pressure, among others. Most of these sensors are expensive, not easy to operate, and have a lower response rate, making them unsuitable for prolonged and extensive use. To improve upon the criteria above, porous carbon-based materials have supported the most promising advancement in material properties, enabling significant advancements to overcome limits previously associated with conventional sensor materials. Carbon-based structures have several advantages over commonly used sensor materials, owing to their superior physio-chemical properties. These carbonaceous structures can be easily synthesized and scaled up to yield fewer densification defects. Furthermore, carbon-based materials have proven to be a more cost-effective and environmentally friendly alternative to currently used electronic materials and are more efficient in their performance. Porous carbon-based materials are being investigated as a viable candidate for sensing applications as their mesoporous and microporous structures aid in the adsorption of the sensing element. Controlled pore size, higher surface area, more accessible synthesis techniques, potential to functionalize with various materials, and physical and chemical loadable active sites are some of the characteristics that make porous carbon-based materials a suitable sensing material with applications in multiple domains. Porous bio-enzymatic sensors based on carbon, electrochemical sensors, multifunctional health monitoring sensors, detection of pesticide residues, detection of DNA-RNA, drug delivery system, bio-electrode have been widely reported in recent years and are gaining considerable interest in the field of sensors. This chapter covers the latest development concerning the manufacture of porous carbon-based sensors, their mechanical, physio-chemical, and biomedical applications, and how they compare with the already available sensor devices. The prospects of porous carbon-based sensors will also be discussed in detail.