Selective nonanal molecular recognition with SnO2 nanosheets for lung cancer sensor

SnO2 nanosheets were developed to detect nonanal gas in the order of ppb which was a marker of lung cancer. The nanosheets showed higher resistance change in nonanal gas than that in carbon monoxide (CO), nitrogen dioxide (NO2), acetone (CH3COCH3), hydrogen (H-2), ethanol (C2H6O), ammonia (NH3), hydrogen sulfide (H2S), formaldehyde (HCHO), acetaldehyde (CH3CHO), or butanal (C4H8O). Crystal surfaces of the nanosheets would be effective for adsorption of nonanal molecules. Furthermore, it was shown that resistance changed with an increase in carbon number in aldehyde. The nanosheets had molecular selectivity for a series of aldehyde molecules. Molecular recognition of the nanosheets gave us a great advantage to detect nonanal gas which was produced by lung cancer.