Sensory properties of carbon nanotubes containing impurity boron atoms

Nanotubes, being one of the most sought-after materials in nanotechnology, are finding new applications. One such area is their use as highly sensitive sensors. However, in the practical application of nanotubes, it often turns out that, despite their positive sorption properties, the change in their electronic state does not occur after the capture of the analyzed substance. This fact significantly complicates the possibility of their use as sensor nanosensors. One of the ways to improve the electronic properties of carbon nanotubes by creating heterostructures on their surface is by modifying them with different atoms. In this case, one of the most effective for the substitution reaction is boron. It enables the creation of redistribution of electron density on the surface of nanotubes while making no significant changes to the topology of the nanotube surface. This paper analyzes a model experiment to study the possibility of using the nanotubes themselves as highly sensitive nanosensors with respect to carbon dioxide molecules. It is concluded that in order to control the sorption properties of carbon nanotubes for their use in fire-fighting devices, it is sufficient to modify them with impurity boron atoms without the introduction of additional functional groups.