Synthesis of Nanoporous Metal Oxide Films Using Anodic Oxidation and Their Gas Sensing Properties

Gas sensors based on metal oxide semiconductors are used in numerous applications including monitoring indoor air quality and detecting harmful substances like volatile organic compounds. Nanostructures, for example, nanoparticles, nanotubes, nanodomes, and nanofibers have been widely utilized to improve gas sensing properties of metal oxide semiconductors, and this increases the effective surface area, resulting in participation of more target gas molecules in the surface reaction. In the recent times, 1-dimensional (1D) metal oxide nanostructures fabricated using anodic oxidation have attracted great attention due to their high surface-to-volume ratio with largearea uniformity, reproducibility, and capability of synthesis under ambient air and pressure, leading to cost-effectiveness. Here, we provide a brief overview of 1D metal oxide nanostructures fabricated by anodic oxidation and their gas sensing properties. In addition, recent progress on thin film-based anodic oxidation for application in gas sensors is introduced.