Carbon allotropes as sensors for environmental monitoring

Summary Environmental pollutants are a major global concern as they threaten human safety and economic stability. As a result, on-site, low-cost and reliable monitoring is becoming essential. Carbon allotropes have proven their high potential in sensing applications due to their outstanding properties, especially in nanoscale. This article summarizes some of the recent advances in sensing of environmental pollutants using carbon allotropes, especially in the form of carbon nanomaterials. It also provides a critical perspective of the challenges and promising approaches for future applications.