Role of Defect Engineering and Surface Functionalization in the Design of Carbon Nanotube-Based Nitrogen Oxide Sensors

Nitrogen oxides (NO(x)) are among the main atmospheric pollutants; therefore, it is important to monitor and detect their presence in the atmosphere. To this end, low-dimensional carbon structures have been widely used as NO(x) sensors for their outstanding properties. In particular, carbon nanotubes (CNTs) have been widely used as toxic-gas sensors owing to their high specific surface area and excellent mechanical properties. Although pristine CNTs have shown promising performance for NO(x) detection, several strategies have been developed such as surface functionalization and defect engineering to improve the NO(x) sensing of pristine CNT-based sensors. Through these strategies, the sensing properties of modified CNTs toward NO(x) gases have been substantially improved. Therefore, in this review, we have analyzed the defect engineering and surface functionalization strategies used in the last decade to modify the sensitivity and the selectivity of CNTs to NO(x). First, the different types of surface functionalization and defect engineering were reviewed. Thereafter, we analyzed experimental, theoretical, and coupled experimental–theoretical studies on CNTs modified through surface functionalization and defect engineering to improve the sensitivity and selectivity to NO(x). Finally, we presented the conclusions and the future directions of modified CNTs as NO(x) sensors.