Electrical sensing of volatile organic compounds in exhaled breath for disease diagnosis

In recent years, electrical sensors toward breath volatolomics have attracted increasing interest owing to their wide feasibility in noninvasive disease diagnostics. In this article, the working principles of active nanomaterials (e.g. metal oxides, polymers, and nanocarbon) toward volatile organic compounds are presented, with a special focus on the influence of surface chemistry and structural feature of these nanomaterials on the sensing performance. The latest and representative achievements on the direct analysis of three typical exhaled volatile organic compounds, including acetone, ammonia, and hydrogen sulfide, that are recognized as important disease biomarkers, are highlighted, indicating the capability of the electrical sensors in enabling noninvasive diagnosis and realtime monitoring. The opportunities and challenges in this field are provided in the end, with an emphasis on the background interference and data recognition which are key factors in developing prospective electrical sensors toward volatolomics analysis.

Automated summary

This article introduces the application of electrical sensors in breath volatolomics and focuses on the working principles of active nanomaterials and their impact on sensing performance. It highlights the capability of electrical sensors in noninvasive diagnosis and real-time monitoring, particularly for the analysis of important disease biomarkers. The opportunities and challenges in this field, particularly background interference and data recognition, are discussed as key factors in the development of prospective electrical sensors.