Development of Environmental
Nanosensors for Detection Monitoring
and Assessment
5
Urmila Chakraborty, Gurpreet Kaur, and Ganga Ram Chaudhary
Abstract
Regular detection, monitoring and assessment of the environmental samples is
extremely essential for checking the levels of environmental contaminants, evaluation of the effects due to their presence in the environment and taking suitable
measures for the maintenance of essential environmental resources. With the
advancement of nanotechnology, extensive research work has been focussed on
utilizing the unique chemical and physical properties of nanostructures and
nanomaterials for the development of nanosensors. These nanosensors have
great advantage over the conventional sensors due to their better interaction
with nanoscale analytes, high sensitivity, selectivity, portability, fast response
and ease of operation. Nanosensors have huge and important applications in
almost all areas of our lives like daily use gadgets, industries, environmental
detection, medical, defence and security, agriculture, food processing, etc.
Nanosensors have significant use for detection and monitoring of environmental
samples. For environmental applications, nanosensors can be categorized based
on the nanomaterials used as the sensing material, transduction principle, application for different samples (air, soil and water) and sensors for various analytes.
The combination of nanotechnology and biotechnology has resulted in the
development of more selective and efficient nanobiosensors. Nanosensors are
mainly based on optical, electrochemical, mechanical and magnetic transduction
principles. A large variety of sensor materials for nanosensor fabrication such as,
metal-based, metal-oxide-based, carbon-based, and polymer-based nanomaterials
have been developed. These nanosensors have been used for the detection of
various analytes like pathogens, toxic gases, organic chemicals, heavy metals and
U. Chakraborty · G. Kaur · G. R. Chaudhary (*)
Department of Chemistry and Centre of Advanced Studies in Chemistry, Panjab University,
Chandigarh, India
e-mail: grc22@pu.ac.in
# Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd. 2021
R. Kumar et al. (eds.), New Frontiers of Nanomaterials in Environmental Science,
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-15-9239-3_5
91
Nanosensors for Detection Monitoring
and Assessment
5
Urmila Chakraborty, Gurpreet Kaur, and Ganga Ram Chaudhary
Abstract
Regular detection, monitoring and assessment of the environmental samples is
extremely essential for checking the levels of environmental contaminants, evaluation of the effects due to their presence in the environment and taking suitable
measures for the maintenance of essential environmental resources. With the
advancement of nanotechnology, extensive research work has been focussed on
utilizing the unique chemical and physical properties of nanostructures and
nanomaterials for the development of nanosensors. These nanosensors have
great advantage over the conventional sensors due to their better interaction
with nanoscale analytes, high sensitivity, selectivity, portability, fast response
and ease of operation. Nanosensors have huge and important applications in
almost all areas of our lives like daily use gadgets, industries, environmental
detection, medical, defence and security, agriculture, food processing, etc.
Nanosensors have significant use for detection and monitoring of environmental
samples. For environmental applications, nanosensors can be categorized based
on the nanomaterials used as the sensing material, transduction principle, application for different samples (air, soil and water) and sensors for various analytes.
The combination of nanotechnology and biotechnology has resulted in the
development of more selective and efficient nanobiosensors. Nanosensors are
mainly based on optical, electrochemical, mechanical and magnetic transduction
principles. A large variety of sensor materials for nanosensor fabrication such as,
metal-based, metal-oxide-based, carbon-based, and polymer-based nanomaterials
have been developed. These nanosensors have been used for the detection of
various analytes like pathogens, toxic gases, organic chemicals, heavy metals and
U. Chakraborty · G. Kaur · G. R. Chaudhary (*)
Department of Chemistry and Centre of Advanced Studies in Chemistry, Panjab University,
Chandigarh, India
e-mail: grc22@pu.ac.in
# Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd. 2021
R. Kumar et al. (eds.), New Frontiers of Nanomaterials in Environmental Science,
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-15-9239-3_5
91