New Insights towards High-Temperature Ethanol-Sensing Mechanism of ZnO-Based Chemiresistors

Gas Sensor Based on ZnO Nanostructured Film for the Detection of Ethanol Vapor

In this paper, the ZnO<La> target was synthesized by the solid-state reaction method and a nanostructured thin film was deposited by the RF (radio frequency) magnetron sputtering method on a Multi-Sensor-Platform. The obtained ZnO<La> nanostructured film was investigated as the sensing material. Energy-Dispersive X-ray (EDX) analysis indicated the existence of La in the synthesized ZnO<La> material. Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) images of the film showed the grain sizes in the range of 20–40 nm. Sensor performance characteristics such as a dynamic response, response and recovery times, and ethanol detection range were investigated at 50–300 °C. A sensitivity was observed at extremely low concentrations of ethanol (0.7 ppm). The minimum response and recovery times of the sensor corresponding to 675 ppm ethanol vapor concentration at 250 °C were found to be 14 s and 61 s, respectively. The sensor showed a high response, good selectivity, fast response/recovery behavior, excellent repeatability toward ethanol vapor, and low sensitivity toward humidity. These characteristics enable the use of a ZnO<La> based sensor for ethanol detecting applications.

Review on grain size effects on thermal conductivity in ZnO thermoelectric materials

Thermoelectric materials have recently attracted a lot of attention due to their ability to convert waste heat into electricity. Based on the extensive research in this area, the nanostructuring approach has been viewed as an effective strategy for increasing thermoelectric performance. This approach focuses on the formation and growth of the superfine, pure and uniform grain size. Since the grain size has a strong influence on the thermal conductivity, this can be reduced by increasing the phonon scattering at grain boundaries and refining the grain sizes. Therefore, this review aims to discuss the mechanism of reduction in thermal conductivity in small-grain zinc oxide (ZnO) and the optimization techniques for obtaining ZnO nanoparticles with desirably low thermal conductivity and excellent thermoelectric performance.

Study of Photoregeneration of Zinc Phthalocyanine Chemiresistor after Exposure to Nitrogen Dioxide

In this work, we present a complex study of photoregeneration of a zinc phthalocyanine (ZnPc) sensor by illumination from light-emitting diodes (LEDs). It includes an investigation of photoregeneration effectivity for various wavelengths (412–723 nm) of incident light carried out at sensor operating temperatures of 55 °C. It is demonstrated that the efficiency of photoregeneration is increasing with a decrease in the light wavelength. In the region of longer wavelengths (723–630 nm), the regeneration degree (RD) was low and ranged from 12% to 15%. In the region of shorter wavelengths (518–412 nm), the RD rose from 35% for 518 nm to 94% for 412 nm. The efficiency of photoregeneration is also shown to be higher in comparison with the temperature regeneration efficiency. In order to understand the chemism of photoregeneration processes, the electrical measurements are supplemented with Raman and near-ambient pressure X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (NAP-XPS) studies. The spectroscopic results showed that nitrogen dioxide bonds to the Zn atom in ZnPc in the form of NO2− and NO−, i.e., partial decomposition of NO2 molecules occurs during the interaction with the surface. NAP-XPS spectra proved that light illumination of the ZnPc surface is essential for almost complete desorption of NOx species. At the same time, it is demonstrated that in case of long-time exposure or exposure of a ZnPc chemiresistor with a high concentration of NO2, the oxygen, released due to the NO2 decomposition, slowly but irreversibly oxidizes the layer. This oxidation process is most probably responsible for the sensor deactivation observed in sensor experiments with high NO2 concentrations. Based on these studies, the mechanism of nitrogen dioxide interaction with zinc phthalocyanine both under LED illumination and in dark conditions is proposed, and a special method for the sensor operation called “constant exposure dose” is established.

Swelling-Assisted Sequential Infiltration Synthesis of Nanoporous ZnO Films with Highly Accessible Pores and Their Sensing Potential for Ethanol

Here, we report a swelling-assisted sequential infiltration synthesis (SIS) approach for the design of highly porous zinc oxide (ZnO) films by infiltration of block copolymer templates such as polystyrene-block-polyvinyl pyridine with inorganic precursors followed by UV ozone-assisted removal of the polymer template. We show that porous ZnO coatings with the thickness in the range between 140 and 420 nm can be obtained using only five cycles of SIS. The pores in ZnO fabricated via swelling-assisted SIS are highly accessible, and up to 98% of pores are available for solvent penetration. The XPS data indicate that the surface of nanoporous ZnO films is terminated with -OH groups. Density functional theory calculations show a lower energy barrier for ethanol-induced release of the oxygen restricted depletion layer in the case of the presence of -OH groups at the ZnO surface, and hence, it can lead to higher sensitivity in sensing of ethanol. We monitored the response of ZnO porous coatings with different thicknesses and porosities to ethanol vapors using combined mass-based and chemiresistive approaches at room temperature and 90 °C. The porous ZnO conformal coatings reveal a promising sensitivity toward detection of ethanol at low temperatures. Our results suggest the excellent potential of the SIS approach for the design of conformal ZnO coatings with controlled porosity, thickness, and composition that can be adapted for sensing applications.

Chemical Surface Adsorption and Trace Detection of Alcohol Gas in Graphene Oxide-Based Acid-Etched SnO2 Aerogels

An acidified SnO₂/rGO aerogel (ASGA) is an attractive contributor in ethanol gas sensing under ultralow concentration because of the sufficient active sites and adsorption pores in SnO₂ and the rGA, respectively. Furthermore, a p-n heterojunction is successfully constructed by the high electron mobility between ASP and rGA to establish a brand-new bandgap of 2.72 eV, where more electrons are released and the surface energy is decreased, to improve the gas sensitivity. The ASGA owns a specific surface area of 256.1 m²/g, far higher than SnO₂ powder (68.7 m²/g), indicating an excellent adsorption performance, so it can acquire more ethanol gas for a redox reaction. For gas-sensing ability, the ASGA exhibits an excellent response of R_a/R_g = 137.4 to 20 ppm of ethanol at the optimum temperature of 210 °C and can reach a response of 1.2 even at the limit detection concentration of 0.25 ppm. After the concentration gradient change test, a nonlinear increase between concentration and sensitivity (S-C curve) is observed, and it indirectly proves the chemical adsorption between ethanol and ASGA, which exhibits charge transfer and improves electron mobility. In addition, a detailed energy band diagram and sensor response diagram jointly depict the gas-sensitive mechanism. Finally, a conversed calculation explains the feasibility of the nonlinear S-C curve from the atomic level, which further verifies the chemical adsorption during the sensing process.