Violet Phosphorus Nanosheets for Efficient Gas Sensing at Room Temperature

What is it about?

Researchers have prepared violet phosphorus (VP) nanosheets through optimized liquid-phase exfoliation and used them to fabricate a highly sensitive gas sensor for detection of dimethylamine (DMA), a typical volatile organic compound (VOC) that widely used in industry. The VP sensor shows an ultrafast response time of 2 seconds and high sensitivity to DMA at room temperature. The sensing mechanism has been analyzed by density functional theory calculations, revealing significant electron transfer from DMA to VP. This work explores the promise of VP in low power sensors.

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Photo by Andreas Felske on Unsplash

Photo by Andreas Felske on Unsplash

Why is it important?

This research is important because it explores the potential of violet phosphorus (VP) in low power gas sensors, which can be applied in air quality monitoring and environmental protection. Traditional gas sensing materials require high temperature operation, resulting in increased power consumption. Two-dimensional (2D) materials like VP offer great prospects in room temperature (RT) gas sensors with minimum power consumption. Key Takeaways: 1. Violet phosphorus (VP) nanosheets were prepared through optimized liquid-phase exfoliation in various solvents. 2. VP sensors show an ultrafast response time of 2 seconds and high sensitivity to dimethylamine (DMA) at room temperature. 3. The sensing mechanism was analyzed by density functional theory calculations, revealing significant electron transfer from DMA to VP. 4. VP is a promising candidate for low power gas sensors due to its abundant active sites, high specific surface area, and stability compared to other 2D materials like black phosphorus (BP).