On‐Site Detection for Hazardous Materials in Chemical Accidents

Chemical accidents, such as fire, explosion, and leakages, not only cause damage to humans but also have a harmful impact on the environment. In modern industrialization period, researchers have been attracted by the elaboration of novel detection platforms that have been widely adopted for monitoring and the early warning of the risk of hazardous chemicals including hydrogen fluoride, hydrogen chloride, nitric acid, ammonia, hydrogen peroxide, chlorine gas, formaldehyde, aromatic compounds such as benzene‐toluene‐xylene, and heavy metals. This review explores novel sensor platforms based on novel materials including plasmonic metals, transition metal oxides, and composites. Due to the unique optical, spectroscopic, electrical, and physicochemical properties of materials, the development of functional materials‐based sensors significantly augments the current outlook on reducing the risk of hazardous chemical accidents to ensure security for humans and the environment.