Potential of nanosensors: designing of hexagonal boron nitride-based nanosensor for methane-sensing

Abstract

Methane, as one of the greenhouse gases, has a significant impact on global warming, roughly 21 times that of carbon dioxide. Hazardous gases like methane must be regularly monitored for leakage or concentration measurement in daily life and industrial operations. Methane is also combustible, explosive, and poisonous. Explosions produced by methane leaks are a regular hazard to people's lives and property safety. As a result, it is crucial to develop a method for precisely monitoring methane gas. To accomplish this, a sensing device with high selectivity, sensitivity, and responsiveness to changes in their environment is needed that can provide rapid and accurate information about a variety of substances and conditions in real time. A nanosensor can detect even trace amounts of a target material due to its high surface-to-volume ratio and unique features at the nanoscale, making it important for tracking dynamic processes such as chemical reactions, biological interactions, and environmental variations. In this work, a 2D nanomaterial-based gas-sensor has been designed to sense methane gas. Boronnitride Quantum dots have been synthesized by liquid exfoliation technique. Characterization of the quantum dots were done using SEM and XRD techniques. Electrical measurements were taken in different ambience and temperature for the performance evaluation of the designed gas sensor. The purpose of this nanosensor design is to harness the unique properties of the nanomaterial and nanotechnology to create a highly sensitive, selective and versatile sensor that can be further integrated into various systems and structures, including wearable devices, lab-on-a-chip platforms, and even within living organisms.