An ultra-sensitive gas sensor based on a two-dimensional manganese porphyrin monolayer

The development of highly sensitive, low-power consuming, stable and recyclable gas sensing devices at room temperature has become an important solution for environmental safety detection. Utilizing a two-dimensional metalloporphyrin monolayer for gas sensing is appealing due to its large specific surface area and high surface activity. A two-dimensional manganese porphyrin monolayer (2DMnPr) is selected from 2D metalloporphyrins with 3d metal centers due to its semi-metallicity to explore its gas sensing properties. Using first-principles calculations, we systematically investigate the electronic structures and adsorption characteristics of gas molecules with toxicity and greenhouse effect on the surface of 2DMnPr, including H2S, CO, CO2, SO2, NO and NO2. The strength of the interaction and charge transfer between the 2DMnPr surface and the adsorbed molecules have a direct effect on the electronic properties and the sensing properties of the adsorbent surface. The sensing performance of the 2DMnPr adsorbent is evaluated via two observable parameters: work function and electrical conductivity. The work functions of 2DMnPr after the adsorption of CO, SO2, NO and NO2 gas molecules increase by different degrees depending on the charge transfer, and those of the H2S and CO2 cases decrease. In our simulation, adsorption of CO, SO2, NO and NO2 gas molecules affects the electronic properties of 2DMnPr markedly, and current–voltage characteristics within a low bias range uncover the superior sensitivity of the conductivity of the 2DMnPr monolayer to these molecules. Besides, the sensing performance is demonstrated to be stable under strain and at room temperature. The desorption time of a gas is positively related to its adsorption energy. The recovery time of CO is predicted to be short enough to realize sustainable detection at room temperature, and the SO2, NO and NO2 gases can also be desorbed at higher temperatures. These results demonstrate that 2DMnPr enables the sensitive detection of these gases and predict the potential application of 2DMnPr as an ultra-sensitive, low-power, stable and recyclable gas sensor at room temperature.