Nanostructured microcantilevers have shown promise for sensing application of molecules in the vapor phase. Nanostructures have improved the molecule capture ability of microcantilevers by highly enhancing the surface of capture. Here, to improve the sensitivity and selectivity of a commercial microcantilever without functionalization, we developed 3D core-shell titanium dioxide@manganese dioxide (TiO2@MnO2) nanorod arrays on a microcantilever, which exhibited a high enhancement in the sensing performance beyond that of 1D nanostructures for the detection of dimethyl methylphosphonate, a simulant of sarin.
Keywords: MnO2; TiO2; chemical warfare agents; core−shell nanostructures; heterostructure; nanorod arrays; nanostructured microcantilever; sensor.