The fast development of technological platforms including Internet of Things (IoT) and the 5th generation (5G) mobile network paves the way to establish intelligent gas sensor networks for monitoring the chemical safety and air quality of ambient environment. However, this application scenario requires a very challenging combination of characteristics of gas sensors including small size for highly-integrated system design, ultra-low power, high sensitivity, high repeatability, and low cost for massive deployment and long-term operation of intelligent gas sensor network in both indoor and outdoor environments. Herein, a wireless self-powered high-performance nanostructure-based gas sensor network is demonstrated. The integrated solar cell combined with ultra-low power gas sensor array en...[ Read more ]

The fast development of technological platforms including Internet of Things (IoT) and the 5th generation (5G) mobile network paves the way to establish intelligent gas sensor networks for monitoring the chemical safety and air quality of ambient environment. However, this application scenario requires a very challenging combination of characteristics of gas sensors including small size for highly-integrated system design, ultra-low power, high sensitivity, high repeatability, and low cost for massive deployment and long-term operation of intelligent gas sensor network in both indoor and outdoor environments. Herein, a wireless self-powered high-performance nanostructure-based gas sensor network is demonstrated. The integrated solar cell combined with ultra-low power gas sensor array enables deployment flexibility and self-powered functionality of the sensor node because of small size of gas sensor array and micro watt level power consumption, achieving ‘permanent operation’ under dim light condition of the indoor environment. Powered by artificial intelligence and gas leakage localization algorithm, the sensor network has successfully achieved real-time indoor air quality monitoring, and leakage localization of flammable gas. With the merits of high sensitivity, desirable selectivity, and self-powered functionality, the as-developed gas sensor network will pose significant impacts on the existing markets of industrial gas leakage detection and indoor air quality monitoring, as well as the emerging markets of smart homes, and smart building applications.