Many recent efforts are directed toward developing high-performance gas sensors based on metal oxide nanostructures operating at room temperature, as it lowers the power consumption, simplifies the device fabrication as well as improves the safety and stability of the sensors. The light-activated gas sensing technology was intensively studied because of its high effectiveness in improving the gas sensing performance of metal oxide nanostrctures at room temperature. This review is covers comprehensive advances in the emerging and feasible approaches for improving nanostructured metal oxide-based gas sensors by light activation, especially the progresses made in the last five years. We first summarize the effects of light-activation on gas sensing behavior of metal oxide nanostructures with some new insights into the related mechanisms. For enhancing the light-activated gas-sensing performance some possible strategies are then introduced, which include the modification of the size, dimension, nanoarchitecture, porous or hierarchical structure and doping or defect engineering, as well as the construction of nanocomposite sensing materials. Finally, some recent developments in light source and device structure design towards low power gas sensor systems are discussed. We hope that this review would provide some useful information to the design of light-activated metal oxide gas sensors operating at room temperature.

最近的许多努力都针对开发基于在室温下运行的金属氧化物纳米结构的高性能气体传感器，因为它降低了功耗，简化了设备制造并提高了传感器的安全性和稳定性。由于光活化气体传感技术在改善室温下金属氧化物纳米结构的气体传感性能方面具有很高的效率，因此对其进行了深入研究。这篇综述涵盖了通过光活化来改善纳米结构的基于金属氧化物的气体传感器的新兴方法和可行方法的全面进展，尤其是最近五年中取得的进展。我们首先总结光活化对金属氧化物纳米结构的气敏行为的影响，并对有关机理进行一些新的认识。为了增强光激活的气体传感性能，然后介绍了一些可能的策略，包括尺寸，尺寸，纳米结构，多孔或分层结构以及掺杂或缺陷工程的修改，以及纳米复合传感材料的构造。最后，讨论了针对低功率气体传感器系统的光源和设备结构设计方面的一些最新进展。我们希望这篇综述可以为在室温下工作的光激活金属氧化物气体传感器的设计提供一些有用的信息。以及纳米复合材料的建造。最后，讨论了针对低功率气体传感器系统的光源和设备结构设计方面的一些最新进展。我们希望这篇综述可以为在室温下工作的光激活金属氧化物气体传感器的设计提供一些有用的信息。以及纳米复合材料的建造。最后，讨论了针对低功率气体传感器系统的光源和设备结构设计方面的一些最新进展。我们希望这篇综述可以为在室温下工作的光激活金属氧化物气体传感器的设计提供一些有用的信息。