Nitrous oxide (N2O), also known as laughing gas, is arguably one of the most detrimental greenhouse gases while concurrently being overlooked by the public. Specifically, N2O is ∼300 times more damaging than its better-known counterpart carbon dioxide (CO2) and has a longer-lived lifetime in the atmosphere than CO2. There exist both natural and anthropogenic sources of N2O, and thus, for a better understanding of sources, capture, and decomposition, it is pivotal to identify N2O within the nitrogen biosphere. This review covers the past and current low-cost N2O gas-sensing technologies, focusing specifically on low-cost metal oxide semiconductors (MOSs), chemiresistive and electrochemical sensors that can provide spatial and temporal monitoring of N2O emissions from various sources. Additionally, compositional modifications to MOsS using metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) are discussed, potentially facilitating new awareness and efforts for increased sensing performance and functionality in N2O detection.
Keywords: electrochemical sensor; greenhouse gases (GHGs); metal oxide semiconductors (MOSs); nitrous oxide (N2O); sensors.