Nanoarchitectonics for Sensors

Abstract Nanotechnology was founded in the mid-twentieth century, contributing to the development of science and technology at the nano and micro levels. The next step can be achieved through nanoarchitectonics, a post-nanotechnology concept. The nanoarchitectonics approach emphasises the importance of science and technology in the nano world opened up by nanotechnology for synthesising functional materials that actually work. This methodology can also be applied to the development of sensors and related sensing systems. This review will consider the role of nanoarchitectonics in developing such materials by adopting the following methodology. First, several research papers related to sensor research that include ‘nanoarchitectonics’ in the title will be selected. These examples will demonstrate how the concept of nanoarchitectonics is applied to sensor development. The next section will examine the possibility of constructing sensing structures from a materials perspective. This will be demonstrated by showing that diverse and hierarchical sensing structures can be created from fullerenes, which are single-element zero-dimensional materials. The third section will present examples of material structures that can transmit signals and interface with devices. The final section will discuss the future directions and requirements of nanoarchitectonics research for sensor development, based on the information obtained. Graphical Abstract