Recent advancements in polymer based nanocomposites through electrospinning for gas sensing applications

Polymer based nanocomposites have emerged as a versatile and efficient class of materials for gas sensing technologies due to their unique combination of flexibility, tunable properties, and cost effectiveness. This review presents a comprehensive overview of the synthesis, structural characteristics, and operational mechanisms of polymer nanocomposites-based gas sensors. Flexible and low-power sensing platforms are crucial for air pollution monitoring. Polymer-based nanocomposites present a promising alternative to traditional gas sensors, especially metal oxide (MO) systems, as they operate at room temperature and offer mechanical flexibility and adjustable surface chemistry. Electrospinning has emerged as a highly effective technique for producing nanofibrous structures that enhance gas sensing due to their large surface area and improved gas diffusion. The addition of functional nanofillers to electrospun polymer matrices further improves detection sensitivity, selectivity, and charge transfer. The impact of key electrospinning parameters, includes polymer concentration, surface tension, solution conductivity, and environmental influences like relative humidity. It elaborates on various gas sensing mechanisms, detailing their principles and material compatibility. Recent advancements in conjugated polymers are also highlighted, particularly in hybrid nanostructures with metal oxides and carbon-based nanomaterials to improve sensitivity, selectivity, and stability. This review also explores the real-world applications in environmental monitoring, medical diagnostics, and volatile organic compound (VOC) detection, along with analysis and challenges including humidity interference, stability issues, and field deployment. Overall, this review work underlines the immense potential of polymer nanocomposites as next generation gas sensing materials and identifies future research directions for optimizing their performance in practical applications.