A monolayer of black phosphorus (BP), also called phosphorene, is an emerging member of the family of two-dimensional (2D) materials. It has sparked a surge of research activities in material science since its first preparation by mechanical exfoliation in 2014. Several reviews have focused on the structure and anisotropic properties of phosphorene as well as its applications in transistors, batteries, and solar cells. Compared to graphene and transition metal dichalcogenides (TMD5), phosphorene possesses higher surface to volume ratio due to its "puckered" lattice structure and has presented some unique advantages in sensing applications. This review aims to summarize recent developments in the sensing applications of phosphorene, including gas sensing, humidity sensing, photo-detection, bio-sensing and ion sensing. The article concludes with the current challenges and future prospects for the production and sensing applications of phosphorene. (C) 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.