The role of defects on the performance of nanotube chemiresistors

The influence of defects on the behavior of nanotube chemiresistors has not been widely explored. This paper shows defects play an important role in the behavior of carbon nanotube sensors. Several key effects are seen: an increase in sensitivity due to stronger binding at the defects, a substantial increase in resistance, a change in the main sensing mechanism from process that occur on the junctions to processes that occur on the nanotubes, the onset of Poole-Frenkel conduction at higher currents, and the onset of current stimulated desorption. These effects are reviewed in the paper.