Direct in situ nitridation of nanostructured metal oxide deposited semiconductor interfaces: tuning the response of reversibly interacting sensor sites.

Metal-oxide nanostructure-decorated extrinsic semiconductor interfaces modified through in situ nitridation greatly expand the range of sensor interface response. Select metal-oxide sites, deposited to an n-type nanopore-coated microporous interface, direct a dominant electron-transduction process for reversible chemical sensing, which minimizes chemical-bond formation. The oxides are modified to decrease their Lewis acidity through a weak interaction to form metal oxynitride sites.

Nanostructure-Directed Chemical Sensing: The IHSAB Principle and the Effect of Nitrogen and Sulfur Functionalization on Metal Oxide Decorated Interface Response.

The response matrix, as metal oxide nanostructure decorated -type semiconductor interfaces are modified through direct amination and through treatment with organic sulfides and thiols, is demonstrated. Nanostructured TiO₂, SnO, NiO and CuO ( = 1,2), in order of decreasing Lewis acidity, are deposited to a porous silicon interface to direct a dominant electron transduction process for reversible chemical sensing in the absence of significant chemical bond formation. The metal oxide sensing sites can be modified to decrease their Lewis acidity in a process appearing to substitute nitrogen or sulfur, providing a weak interaction to form the oxynitrides and oxysulfides.