An Extensive Review of Nanotubes-Based Mass Sensors

Abstract

Sensors have tremendous demand in Industry because of their properties like sensitiveness, responsiveness, stability, selectiveness, and cost-effectiveness. Therefore, it is a dire need to develop advanced sensing materials and technologies. With the rapid advancement in micro and nanotechnologies in Micro-electromechanical Systems/ Nano-electromechanical Systems (MEMS/NEMS), more emphasis has to develop micro and nanomechanical resonators, having great interest for engineering fields. When MEMS/NEMS resonators are used for advancement in sensors, then they could perform both detection and sensing. Both BNNT and CNT are the strongest lightweight nanomaterials used for mass sensing applications. BNNT contradict to CNT have nontoxic property towards health and environment because of its structural stability and chemical inertness, which makes it more suitable for biological applications. From various studies, the conclusion comes out that the non-linear dynamic behavior of Boron Nitride Nanotubes-based mass sensors has not yet been explored. It is required strongly to study the non-linear conduct of BNNT for designing a better performing mass sensor.

Nano-electro-mechanical conduct of boron nitride nanotube as piezoelectric nanogenerators and nanoswitches

“…The piezoelectric switch operates on the principle of piezoelectricity and finds application in various fields such as radio frequency devices, radars, sensors, small-scale robotics, biomedical instruments, and cameras [77]. Typically, these devices employ piezoelectric microswitches to achieve electrical and mechanical coupling at the microscale, referred to as micro-electro-mechanical-systems (MEMS), a category falling under micro-technologies [21,77]. Additional information regarding the operational details of these systems can be sourced elsewhere [88].…”

“…While piezoelectric microswitches are widely integrated into electronic devices, the incessant pursuit of reducing device size in line with Moore's law [89] poses limitations to their practical application in the future. To address this, a transition from microscale to nanoscale is necessary, ensuring compatibility with nanotechnology and nanoelectronics applications [20,21] piezoelectric nanoswitches, which integrate electrical and mechanical properties on the nanoscale, collectively termed NEMS, a category encompassing nanotechnologies [21,90,91]. However, NEMS devices are still in the research and development phase, necessitating a thorough exploration of electricalmechanical interactions within NEMS arrays and their switching times [22,23].…”

“…The rise of nano-robots and their diverse applications [16][17][18], along with the utilization of nanotechnology in radars, sensors, and cameras [19], has created a demand for downsizing piezoelectric switches from the microscale to the nanoscale [20,21]. Achieving this goal requires transitioning from micro-electro-mechanical systems (MEMS) to nanoelectro-mechanical systems (NEMS) for the design of piezoelectric nanoswitches.…”

Coupled Multiphysics Modelling of Sensors for Chemical, Biomedical, and Environmental Applications with Focus on Smart Materials and Low-Dimensional Nanostructures

“…Recently developed models, based on comprehensive nonlinear vibration analysis and supported by molecular dynamics simulations [ 147 , 148 ], present an important tool in this respect. In this context, we also mention recent work [ 149 ] where the focus has been made on mass sensing applications while using boron nitride nanotubes (BNNTs) and carbon nanotubes (CNT) as the strongest lightweight nanomaterials. Importantly, with their structural stability and chemical inertness, BNNTs have nontoxic properties, and their applications in health, environmental, and biomedical areas look quite promising.…”