Dynamic Growth Configuration of 2D-SnS2 Nanoflakes for Humidity-Resistant NO2 Monitoring System: Mechanistic Insights and Environmental Applications

SnS₂ was fabricated using atmospheric pressure chemical vapor deposition for efficient nitrogen dioxide (NO₂) detection at room temperature. The deposition of SnS₂ on the silicon dioxide/silicon (SiO₂/Si) substrate was tuned by varying the distance between the tin source and the substrate (D_ss). The sensing performance of all the fabricated sensors has been scrutinized towards NO₂ gas in the temperature range of 30 °C to 100 °C. Among them, the D_ss−2 sensor exhibited a superior sensing performance of 302% against 40 ppm of NO₂at 30 °C, with response and recovery time of 32 s and 162.5 s, respectively, enduring over 80 days with reliable stability. The adsorption fitting with Freundlich adsorption isotherm model and Gibbs free energy calculation validates the fabricated sensor comprises heterogenous binding sites, with exothermic behaviour and high spontaneity. Further, the D_ss−2 sensor was employed to construct a prototype sensor module for the real-time detection of NO₂ gas at ambient temperature, thereby expanding the potential practical applications for NO₂ detection. Thus, this work paves a crucial ideology for the growth regulation of 2D layered materials with potent detection of NO₂.