Open Access

REVIEW

Nanostructured Metal Chalcogenides as Humidity Sensors for Respiration Monitoring: A Review

Neeru Dabas^1,*, Naeem Mohammad², Poonam Kumari², Pooja Yadav¹, Khushbu Jain^1,3, Ambika Devi⁴, Pawan K. Khanna^2,*
1 Department of Chemistry, Biochemistry & Forensic Science, Amity School of Applied Sciences, Amity University Haryana, Gurugram, India
2 Department of Applied Chemistry, Energy and Environment, Defence Institute of Advanced Technology, Pune, India
3 Department of Chemistry, Govt. College for Girls, Sector-14, Gurugram, Haryana, India
4 Department of Applied Sciences, The Northcap University, Sector-23A, Gurugram, Haryana, India
* Corresponding Author: Neeru Dabas. Email: ; Pawan K. Khanna. Email:

Chalcogenide Letters https://doi.org/10.32604/cl.2026.087576

Received 25 June 2026; Accepted 14 September 2026; Published online 29 September 2026

Abstract

Metal chalcogenide semiconductors (MX type; M = Zn/Cd/Sn/Sb/Mo/W/Ag/Cu/In, etc. & X = S, Se, Te) are immensely popular for a large variety of applications in electronics, optoelectronics, and catalysis. Their exploitation in the field of optoelectronics, where size-dependent optical properties have opened scope in the field of sensor technology, light-emitting devices, photovoltaics, energy technology, and the biomedical field, has made them immensely sought-after materials. In the field of biomedical sensors, such materials are an integral part of devices that are used for monitoring various parameters, including the respiratory health of human beings. Respiratory complexities are the third leading cause of mortality worldwide. Early detection of such complexities therefore requires a highly selective and sensitive sensor. With the technology boom and the advent of the Internet of Things (IOT), there is a massive increase in the use of wearable sensing devices for tracking the health state. In this direction, wearable humidity sensing devices have a huge scope in real-time tracking of various ailments such as tussive disorder, hyperhidrosis, emphysema, bronchial asthma, apnea, bronchospasm, lung fibrosis, etc. The current review focuses on the use of metal chalcogenides (S, Se, Te) for respiratory complexities by analyzing the variation in breathing rate as a function of humidity in exhaled breath. This review covers metal chalcogenides, their synthesis, and applications in humidity sensing for healthcare.

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Keywords

Nanostructured materials; metal chalcogenides; humidity sensor; healthcare

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