Ethanol Gas Sensor Fabrication Based on ZnO Flower Like Nanorods

Zinc oxide flower-like nanorods (ZnO NRs) was successfully synthesized via the hydrothermal method. The growth process was conducted with seed layer concentrations of 20mM. The as-synthesized nanostructures were characterized by x-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscope (SEM), atomic force microscope (AFM), and ultraviolet-visible (UV-VIS) spectrophotometer. The analysis results revealed a pure Wurtzite ZnO hexagonal nanostructures with preferred orientation (002) along the c-direction. The calculated band gap of average crystallite size is 3.2eV and 25 nm respectively. New designed, constructed and successfully calibrated for ethanol gas sensing was found. The ethanol gas sensor was fabricated at room temperature based on the ZnO NRs film. The synthesized materials proved to be a good candidate for the ethanol gas sensor. The optimum results of the gas sensor measurements of the synthesized gas sensor are as follows, the sensitivity, response time, and recovery time at 25 °C are 60%, 80 Seconds and 80 seconds respectively, and at 200 °C are 70%, 60 seconds and 50 seconds respectively

Paper-Derived Ammonia Sensors Integrating A Natural Deep Eutectic Solvent

Ammonia is a naturally-occurring gas, present throughout the atmosphere at sub-ppb concentrations. As result of various processes, significantly higher concentrations can be found in the areas surrounding industrial and agricultural operations. In such cases, the presence of NH3 in air not only is associated with a very pungent odor and potential toxicity but can also affect the environment, animals, plants, and humans. Aiming to provide a simple platform to monitor NH3 in air, a paper-derived gas sensor, integrating a natural deep eutectic solvent (NADES) was developed. The herein described paper-derived ammonia gas sensor was fabricated using direct laser scribing, to form a carbon-based interdigitated array. Characterization and optimization (using chemometrics) were performed to develop a material with the lowest possible resistivity. A unique feature of the proposed sensor is that it integrates a natural deep eutectic solvent formed with lactic acid:glucose:water (LGH). This NADES conveys selectivity toward ammonia (over methanol, ethanol, 1-propanol, and water) and greatly enhances the sensitivity of the sensor (over the plain carbon array). The resistivity of the sensor was dependent on the NH3 concentration in the 0.11 – 40.6 % range and has an estimated limit of detection of 0.11 %. Although the sensitivity of the sensor is lower than that of others based on metallic oxides, this approach represents a low-cost, portable, and simple way to detect and measure ammonia in gas phase

Sensitive and Selective NH3 Monitoring at Room Temperature Using ZnO Ceramic Nanofibers Decorated with Poly(styrene sulfonate)

Ammonia (NH3) gas is a prominent air pollutant that is frequently found in industrial and livestock production environments. Due to the importance in controlling pollution and protecting public health, the development of new platforms for sensing NH3 at room temperature has attracted great attention. In this study, a sensitive NH3 gas device with enhanced selectivity is developed based on zinc oxide nanofibers (ZnO NFs) decorated with poly(styrene sulfonate) (PSS) and operated at room temperature. ZnO NFs were prepared by electrospinning followed by calcination at 500 °C for 3 h. The electrospun ZnO NFs are characterized to evaluate the properties of the as-prepared sensing materials. The loading of PSS to prepare ZnO NFs/PSS composite is also optimized based on the best sensing performance. Under the optimal composition, ZnO NFs/PSS displays rapid, reversible, and sensitive response upon NH3 exposure at room temperature. The device shows a dynamic linear range up to 100 ppm and a limit of detection of 3.22 ppm and enhanced selectivity toward NH3 in synthetic air, against NO2 and CO, compared to pure ZnO NFs. Additionally, a sensing mechanism is proposed to illustrate the sensing performance using ZnO NFs/PSS composite. Therefore, this study provides a simple methodology to design a sensitive platform for NH3 monitoring at room temperature