Detection of environmental pollutant and health hazardous, nitrogen dioxide (NO2) is reported using nanostructured CuO particulates (NPs). Powder X-ray diffraction and field emission scanning electron microscopy were used to probe crystalline phase and morphological details, respectively. Small crystallites of ∼10–12nm and a strain of 4% were found in the leafy structure of CuO. Raman studies further supported the presence of nanosized CuO phase. This is the first instance of utilizing CuO NPs to detect 5ppm of NO2 even at a low operating temperature of 50°C. The highest sensitivity for NO2 was observed at 150°C, for the first time, in CuO NPs. A low activation energy of 0.18eV was found for sensing process. The CuO NPs sensor responded to NO2 within a few seconds and recovered totally under a minute. The kinetics of the NO2 gas adsorption on the CuO film surface was described following the Elovich model.