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. 2017 Feb 17;17(2):391. doi: 10.3390/s17020391

Table 1.

Summary of the main properties and performance characteristics of the different nanomaterials employed in the detection of H2S gas.

Nanomaterial Transduction Scheme Operating Temperature Response to H2S Range and LOD Response Time Recovery Time Selectivity (Not Affected by, Unless Otherwise Indicated) Reference
α-Fe2O3 film Chemi luminescence 320 °C 1827 (100 ppm) 1 8–2000 ppm/3 ppm 15 s 120 s Ethanol, hexane, cyclohexane, ethylene, hydrogen, o-dichlorobenzene, carbon dioxide, nitrogen dioxide, ammonia, thiophene, sulfur dioxide, dimethyl sulfur. Effect of ambient moisture not available. [12]
SnO2 nanospheres Chemi luminescence 160 °C 2000 (5 ppm) 1 NA 5 4 s 20 s Carbon monoxide, hydrogen, nitrogen dioxide. Effect of ambient moisture not available. [13]
α-Fe2O3 nanochains Chemo resistor 285 °C 20 (100 ppm) 2 1–100 ppm/1 ppm 8.6 s 66 s NA 5 [14]
α-Fe2O3 nanoparticles Chemo resistor 300 °C 5 (10 ppm) 2 0.05–100 ppm/50 ppb 30 s 5 s NA 5 [15]
Pt-doped α-Fe2O3 film Chemo resistor 160 °C 330 (100 ppm) 2 10–1000 ppm/units of ppm >1 min >1 min Ethane, carbon monoxide, significant cross-sensitivity to ethanol and ammonia. Effect of ambient moisture not available. [16]
Fe-doped SnO2 Chemo resistor 150 °C 90 (100 ppm) 2 10–250 ppm/10 ppm Few s 100 s Carbon monoxide, liquefied petroleum gas, significant cross-sensitivity to ethanol. Effect of ambient moisture not available. [18]
Fe2(MoO4)3 nanorods Chemo resistor 80 °C 18 (50 ppm) 2 1–50 ppm/1 ppm 30 s 150 s NA 5 [19]
NiFe2O4 Chemo resistor 300 °C 35.8 (5 ppm) 2 5–200 ppm/1 ppm 15 s 35 s Liquefied petroleum gas, methane, carbon monoxide, butane, significant cross-sensitivity to hydrogen. Effect of ambient moisture not available. [20]
Ni0.6Zn0.4Fe2O4 Chemo resistor 225 °C 0.8 (50 ppm) 3 NA 5 10 s 95 s Significant cross-sensitivity to ethanol, liquefied petroleum gas, ammonia. Effect of ambient moisture not available. [21]
Pure and metal loaded WO3 Chemo resistor 200 °C to 350 °C 25–190 (10 ppm) 2 0.2–200 ppm/200 ppb 1 s 11 min Significant cross-sensitivity to ammonia, nitrogen dioxide and ambient moisture. [22,23,24,25]
Mesoporous WO3 Chemo resistor 250 °C 325 (100 ppm) 2 0.25–200 ppm/250 ppb 2 s 38 s Hydrogen, benzene, with some cross-sensitivity to methanol, ethanol, acetone, ammonia, and acetaldehyde. Effect of ambient moisture not available. [33]
Pure or In doped ZnO Chemo resistor RT 4 to 250 °C 17 to 90 (100 ppm) 2 0.5 to 100 ppm/500 ppb >20 min (RT); 2 s (250 °C) >20 min (RT); 4 min (250 °C) High cross-sensitivity to ammonia. Effect of ambient moisture not available. [26,27,28]
ZnO nanoparticles Shift of SPR peak RT 4 0.71 nm/ppm 6 10 to 100 ppm/NA 5 1 min 1 min Hydrogen, methane, ammonia, chlorine. Effect of ambient moisture not available. [54]
ZnO nanorods Lossy mode resonance RT 4 0.8 nm/ppm 6 10 to 100 ppm/NA 5 NA 5 NA 5 Hydrogen, methane, ammonia, chlorine. Effect of ambient moisture not available. Response saturates at 60 ppm of H2S. [55]
In2O3 Chemo resistor 270 °C 120 (50 ppm) 2 NA 5 NA 5 NA 5 Hydrogen, ammonia, toluene, benzene, carbon monoxide, methane. Significant cross-sensitivity to liquefied petroleum gas, formaldehyde, and ethanol. Important cross-sensitivity to nitrogen dioxide. Effect of ambient moisture not available. [29,34]
CeO2 Chemo resistor RT 4 2 (100 ppm) 2 0.1 to 100 ppm/100 ppb 20 s 200 s Hydrogen, with some cross-sensitivity to ethanol and ammonia. Effect of ambient moisture not available. [30]
YMnO3 Chemo resistor 100 °C 90 (500 ppm) 2 20 to 100 ppm/NA 5 6 s 6 s Significant cross-sensitivity to liquefied petroleum gas, carbon monoxide, and hydrogen. Effect of ambient moisture not available. Response saturates for H2S concentrations higher than 100 ppm. [31]
CuO-SnO2 Chemo resistor 200 °C 0.88 (100 ppm) 3 100 to 500 ppm/NA 5 60 s 40 s NA 5. Response saturates for H2S concentrations higher than 300 ppm. [35]
CuO-SnO2 Chemo resistor 300 °C 88 (2 ppm) 2 20 to 1000 ppb/20 ppb 10 min 10 min NA 5 [36]
CuO-SnO2 Chemo resistor 160 °C 250 (100 ppm) 2 25 to 300 ppm/NA 5 10 min NA 5 NA 5 [37]
CuO-SnO2 Chemo resistor 140 °C 106 (10 ppm) 2 10 to 160 ppm/NA 5 2 min >20 min NA 5 [38]
CuO-SnO2 Chemo resistor 150 °C 2000 (20 ppm) 2 NA 5 14 s 21 s NA 5 [39]
CuO-SnO2 nanoribbons Chemo resistor RT 4 1.8 × 104 (3 ppm) 2 NA 5 15 s >20 min NA 5 [40]
CuO-SnO2 Chemo resistor 150 °C 0.81 (1000 ppm) 3 200–2500 ppm/tens of ppm 53 s 83 s Hydrogen, carbon monoxide, liquefied petroleum gas, sulfur dioxide. Effect of ambient moisture not available. Response saturates for H2S concentrations higher than 1500 ppm. [41]
CuO-SnO2 coral-like Chemo resistor 100 °C 4173 (10 ppm) 2 0.1–10 ppm/20 ppb 10 s >30 min Ethanol, formaldehyde. Effect of ambient moisture not available. [42]
Cu2O-SnO2 Chemo resistor RT 4 0.6 (100 ppm) 3 5–150 ppm/1 ppm >1 min >1 min Toluene. Significant cross-sensitivity to hydrogen liquefied petroleum gas, nitric oxide, ammonia. Effect of ambient moisture not available. [43]
CuO-ZnO Chemo resistor 225 °C 380 (10 ppm) 2 0.1–20 ppm/100 ppb 10 s 200 s Ethanol, acetone, hydrogen, nitrogen dioxide, sulfur dioxide, methane, acetaldehyde. Effect of ambient moisture not available. [44]
CuO-ZnO Chemo resistor 200 °C 83.5 (5 ppm) 2 5–100 ppm/1 ppm 572 s 65 s Carbon monoxide, ammonia, hydrogen, methane. Effect of ambient moisture not available. [45]
Cu-ZnO Shift of SPR peak RT 4 0.2 nm/ppm 6 10–100 ppm/NA 5 1 min 1 min NA 5 [52]
Cu-SnO2-ZnO Chemo resistor 150 °C 6.4 × 104 * NA 5 NA 5 NA 5 Liquefied petroleum gas, carbon dioxide, nitrogen oxides, methane. Significant cross-sensitivity to carbon monoxide. Effect of ambient moisture not available. [46]
Copper oxides-WO3 Chemo resistor 390 °C 26 (5 ppm) 2 0.3–5 ppm/100 ppb 2 s 684 s Hydrogen, carbon monoxide, ammonia, benzene, nitrogen dioxide. Resilient to changes in the background humidity. [47]
CuO nanosheets Chemo resistor 100 °C 320 (1 ppm) 2 30–1200 ppb/20 ppb 10 s 10 s Ammonia, carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxides, hydrogen. Strong cross-sensitivity to ambient moisture. [48]
CuO Chemo resistor Switching 150–450 °C 1000 (5 ppm) 2 NA 5 <1 min <1 min Sulfur dioxide, nitrogen dioxide, ammonia. Slightly affected by changes in ambient moisture. [50]
Au-TiO2-NiO Absorbance change 350 °C 0.97 (100 ppm) 7 2–100 ppm/NA 5 1 min 7 min Carbon monoxide, hydrogen. Effect of ambient moisture not available. Response signal saturates for H2S concentrations higher than 10 ppm. [51]
Ag-NiO-ITO Shift of SPR peak RT 4 1 nm/ppm 6 10–100 ppm/NA 5 NA 5 NA 5 Hydrogen, ammonia, chlorine, carbon monoxide. Effect of ambient moisture not available. [53]
Ag-SWCNT Chemo resistor RT 4 NA 5 NA 5 NA 5 NA 5 Cross-sensitivity to ammonia and nitric oxide. Effect of ambient moisture not available. Unstable response. Lack of baseline recovery. [56]
Au-SWCNT Chemo resistor RT 4 0.23 (1 ppm) 3 20–1000 ppb/20 ppb 5 min >20 min NA 5. Response saturates at 250 ppb of H2S. [57]
Co3O4–SWCNT Chemo resistor 250 °C 5 (100 ppm) 3 10–150 ppm/units of ppm 2 min 10 min Ammonia, methane, hydrogen. Effect of ambient moisture not available. [59]
Cu-MWCNT SAW 150 °C 240 kHz (100 ppm) 8 5–150 ppm/units of ppm 7 s 9 s Hydrogen, ethanol, acetone. Ambient moisture affects the response (20% decrease in response at 150 °C). [60]
Cu-Diamond Like Carbon Shift of SPR peak RT 4 NA 5 NA 5 1 min NA 5 NA 5 [61]
Cu2O-Graphene Chemo resistor RT 4 0.35 (100 ppb) 3 5–100 ppb/1 ppb 2 min 10 min Hydrogen, methane, ammonia. Significant cross-sensitivity to ammonia. Effect of ambient moisture not available. [62]
MoO3–rGO Chemo resistor 160 °C 4120 (50 ppm) 2 50–500 ppm/50 ppm 1 min 2 min Ethanol, nitric oxide, carbon monoxide. Effect of ambient moisture not available. [63]
PSS-doped PANI/graphene Chemo resistor RT 4 0.79 (50 ppm) 3 1–50 ppm/1 ppm 5 min >20 min Ethanol. Significant cross-sensitivity to ammonia. Effect of ambient moisture not available. [64]
DDA-GO or EDA-GO or AMIDE-GO Chemo resistor RT 4 160 (50 ppm) 2 50–500 ppm/50 ppm 1 min 3 min Carbon monoxide, nitric oxide. Significant cross-sensitivity to ethanol. Effect of ambient moisture not available. [65,66]
Cu-Phthalo cynanine ChemFET RT 4 0.605 (200 ppm) 9 100–500 ppm/NA 3 89 s 290 s Methane, hydrogen, carbon monoxide. Significant cross-sensitivity to ammonia. Effect of ambient moisture not available. Poor recovery of the baseline. [67]
Polytiophene-WO3 Chemo resistor 70 °C 12 (100 ppm) 2 5–200 ppm/3 ppm 10 s 5 s Methanol, ethanol, acetone, ammonia. Effect of ambient moisture not available. [70]
Colloidal PbS QDs Chemo resistor 135 °C 4218 (50 ppm) 2 5–100 ppm/6 ppb 23 s 171 s Sulfur dioxide, nitrogen dioxide, ammonia. Effect of ambient moisture not available. [71,72]
MOFs Chemi luminescence 250 °C 7500 (16 ppm) 1 6–16 ppm/1 ppm 1 s 5 s Methanol, ethanol, propanol, butanol, isobutanol, acetone, formaldehyde, toluene, chloroform. Effect of ambient moisture not available. [73]

1 Chemoluminescence signal; 2 Rair/Rgas; 3 (Rair − Rgas)/Rair; 4 RT: Room temperature; 5 NA: Not available; 6 Shift in the SPR frequency; 7 Absgas/Absair; 8 Frequency shift; 9 (Igas − Iair)/Iair; * Not clear how this sensitivity value is obtained.