AUTHOR=Nasriddinov Abulkosim , Zairov Rustem , Rumyantseva Marina TITLE=Light-activated semiconductor gas sensors: pathways to improve sensitivity and reduce energy consumption JOURNAL=Frontiers in Chemistry VOLUME=Volume 13 - 2025 YEAR=2025 URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/chemistry/articles/10.3389/fchem.2025.1538217 DOI=10.3389/fchem.2025.1538217 ISSN=2296-2646 ABSTRACT=Resistive type gas sensors based on wide-bandgap semiconductor oxides are remaining one of the principal players in environmental air monitoring. The rapid development of technology and the desire to miniaturize electronics require the creation of devices with minimal energy consumption. A promising solution may be the use of photoactivation, which can initiate/accelerate physico-chemical processes at the solid-gas interface and realize detection of flammable and explosive gases at close to room temperature. This work examines the mechanism underlying the increased sensitivity to various gases under photoactivation. The review is intended to clarify the current situation in the field of light-activated gas sensors and set the vector for their further development in order to integrate with the latest technological projects.