Optically Programmable Smart WSe<sub>2</sub>/hBN Heterostructure Gas Sensors
Highly sensitive and energy-efficient gas sensors are essential for real-time environmental monitoring and air quality assessment. In this work, we present an optically programmable gas sensor based on WSe<sub>2</sub>/hBN heterostructure transistors for NO<sub><i>x</i></sub> detection. The hBN interfacial layer enhances device performance by reducing charge trapping and improving transport, enabling the WSe<sub>2</sub>/hBN configuration to achieve a higher sensing response and faster recovery than WSe<sub>2</sub>/SiO<sub>2</sub> devices. To understand the sensing mechanism, in situ Kelvin probe force microscopy (KPFM) was used, revealing that NO<sub><i>x</i></sub> adsorption at the metal/semiconductor interface modulates the Schottky barrier height (SBH), which governs charge transport and gas sensitivity. Furthermore, we demonstrate that UV-induced charge modulation allows dynamic control of the sensor response, offering a tunable and reversible method for optimizing gas detection. This study highlights the potential of heterostructure engineering and optoelectronic modulation in developing next-generation, low-power, smart gas sensors for environmental monitoring applications.
Authors
- Wen Xing (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5680-8274)
- B. R. Mehta (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2888-5897)
- Takashi Taniguchi (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1467-3105)
- Kenji Watanabe (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3701-8119)
- Prashant Bisht (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6413-4118)
- Matthias Schrade (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9501-6536)
- Branson D. Belle (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1211-8714)
- Per Erik Vullum (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7968-4879)
- Ayaz Ali (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2230-2259)
Institutions
- Silesian University of Technology (PL)
- University of the West Indies System (JM)
- Jaypee Institute of Information Technology (IN)
- SINTEF (NO)
- University of the West (US)
- National Oceanography Centre (GB)
- National Institute for Materials Science (JP)
- Directorate-General for Research and Innovation (BE)
- Indian Institute of Technology Delhi (IN)
- Sungkyunkwan University (KR)
Publication Details
- Journal
- ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces
- Published
- 2025-08-12
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1021/acsami.5c09390
- Citations
- 4
- Primary Topic
- Gas Sensing Nanomaterials and Sensors
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 2.92
Funders
- Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology
- Norges Forskningsråd
- Silesian University of Technology
- Japan Society for the Promotion of Science
- National Institute for Materials Science