Synthesis of Mesoporous Lanthanum-Doped SnO2 Spheres for Sensitive and Selective Detection of the Glutaraldehyde Disinfectant

Antimony Doping in SnO2 Nanoparticles for Sensitive NO2 Sensors

Developing cost-effective NO2 sensors with ppb-level limit of detection (LOD) is crucial for effectively monitoring this widespread toxic gas. SnO2, a promising candidate, suffers from limitations including poor selectivity, high operating temperature, and sensitivity to moisture. To address these challenges, we synthesized high-performance Sb-doped SnO2 sensors via a hydrothermal method. All SnO2 products exhibit rutile tetragonal crystalline structures and consist of fine nanoparticles, primarily in the several-nanometer range. It is found that dopant activation in the SnO2 lattice is dependent on both temperature and doping concentration with minimum resistivity achieved at optimal annealing temperature. For sensor fabrication, an annealing condition at 300 °C in ambient air for 2 h was chosen. All sensors demonstrated prominent selectivity toward NO2. The sensor response follows a volcano-shaped curve, with the 1.0 and 2.0 atom % Sb-doped sensors exhibiting the highest responses at room temperature (∼25 °C). This peak response shifts to the 0.1 and 1.0 atom % Sb-doped sensors at 75 °C. The optimal operating temperature for achieving the highest response progressively decreases with increasing Sb doping, while moisture resistance also improves. The SnO2:0.1%Sb sensor demonstrates the most impressive overall performance, exhibiting a higher response stability against temperature variation. It boasts an ultrahigh response of 2.65 × 104, rapid response/recovery times of 153 s/11 s to 1 ppm of NO2 at 75 °C, and a LOD down to 20 ppb. Density functional theory calculations suggest that moderate Sb doping level leads to stronger NO2 adsorption, explaining the observed optimal performance at moderate doping concentrations.

Rapid and Sensitive Detection of 2-Ethylhexanol Vapor Utilizing Mesoporous Neodymium-Doped Indium Oxide for Real-Time Monitoring of Overheated Electrical Cables

Rapid and sensitive detection of 2-ethylhexanol vapor, a critical indicator of overheating in electrical cables, is essential for the early warning of potential electrical fires. However, traditional chemiresistive gas sensors are inadequate for real-time detection of 2-ethylhexanol owing to its chemical stability. Herein, a chemiresistive gas sensor based on mesoporous Nd-doped In2O3 is designed for rapid detection of ppb-level 2-ethylhexanol vapor. The sensor exhibits a high response (22.8@1 ppm), excellent sensitivity (4.7 ppm-1), a short response time (29 s), and a low detection limit (760 ppb). After Nd doping, the response of the mesoporous Nd-doped In2O3 sensor is approximately 20 folds higher than that of the In2O3 sensor. Furthermore, a wireless sensing device has been developed to enable real-time monitoring of cable overheating. The outstanding sensing performance can be attributed to neodymium doping within the mesoporous framework, which enhances the accessibility of active sites on the interface of sensing materials, increases the concentration of surface-adsorbed oxygen at the gas-solid interface, and improves the adsorption capacity for 2-ethylhexanol. This work showcases an efficient semiconductor metal oxide gas sensor capable of rapidly and sensitively detecting parts per billion levels of 2-ethylhexanol induced by the overheating of electrical cables, demonstrating significant potential for early warning of electrical fires.

Oxygen Vacancy Mediated-Bismuth Molybdate/Graphitic Carbon Nitride Type II Heterojunction Chemiresistor for Efficient NH3 Detection at Room Temperature

Metal oxide-based chemiresistive gas sensors are expected to play a significant role in assessing human health and evaluating food spoilage. However, the high operating temperature, insufficient limit of detection (LOD), and long response/recovery time restrict their broad application. Herein, 3D Bi2MoO6/2D Eg-C3N4 heterocomposites are developed for advanced NH3 gas sensors with RT operational mode. Utilizing the synergetic engineering of micro-nanostructure, surface oxygen vacancies, and well-defined Type II n-n heterojunctions, BMOCN3 demonstrated superior NH3 sensing properties at 23 °C, including the high response (S = 13.6 at 10 ppm), fast response/recovery speed (8/30 s), excellent selectivity, and low LOD (166 ppb). Based on the experimental, DFT, and MD studies, the improved sensing performance can be ascribed to accelerated charge transfer, superior redox capacity, and improved adsorption/desorption kinetics. Moreover, the practical application in rapid exhaled NH3 biomarker detection of the as-fabricated gas sensor was preliminarily verified. This work highlights that the novel synergetic engineering can effectively modulate the electronic structure and charge transfer, offering a rational solution for room temperature chemiresistive gas sensors.

Visual detection of aldehyde gases using a silver-loaded paper-based colorimetric sensor array

The small molecule aldehydes are volatile organic compounds (VOCs), possessing cytotoxicity and carcinogenicity. Long-term exposure can pose a serious threat to human health. Based on an in-situ reduction colorimetric method to generate silver nanoparticles and induce colorimetric response, we proposed a silver-loaded paper-based colorimetric sensor array for visually detecting and differentiating five relatively common trace small molecule aldehyde gases. The silver ions are immobilized onto a porous filter paper and stabilized by complexing agents of branched polyethyleneimine, ethylenediamine, and 1,6-diaminohexane, respectively. The as-fabricated sensor array expresses remarkable stability and capacity to resist humidity. The qualitative analysis reveals that the sensor array has excellent selectivity for aldehyde gases and displays remarkable anti-interference ability. The quantitative analysis indicates that the sensor array exhibits superior sensitivity for five aldehyde gases, with limits of detection (LODs) of 9.0 ppb for formaldehyde (FA), 3.1 ppm for acetaldehyde (AA), 3.5 ppm for propionaldehyde (PA), 23.8 ppb for glutaric dialdehyde (GD), and 71.5 ppb for hydroxy formaldehyde (HF), respectively. Importantly, these LODs are all comfortably below their respective permissible exposure limits. A unique colorimetric response fingerprint is observed for each analyte. Standard chemometric methods illustrate that the sensor array has excellent clustering capability for these aldehyde gases. Additionally, the sensor array's response is irreversible and possesses outstanding performance for cumulative monitoring. This colorimetric sensor array based on silver ions reduced to silver nanoparticles offers a novel detection method for the continuous, ultrasensitive, and visual detection of trace airborne pollutants.

Synergistic sensitization effects of single-atom gold and cerium dopants on mesoporous SnO2 nanospheres for enhanced volatile sulfur compound sensing

The real-time monitoring of volatile sulfur compounds is indispensable; however, it continues to pose a significant challenge due to issues such as limited performance towards parts-per-billion (ppb)-level gas. Herein, a concept of synergistic sensitization effects involving single-atom gold (Au) and cerium (Ce) dopants is proposed to boost the sensing performance of allyl mercaptan, a common volatile sulfur compound. As a proof-of-concept, a chemiresistive gas sensor based on mesoporous SnO2 nanospheres with single-atom Au decoration and Ce dopant (denoted Au/Ce-SnO2) is successfully synthesized. The synthesis of Au/Ce-SnO2 is achieved through the utilization of a self-template strategy, employing metal-phenolic hybrids as a precursor. The obtained materials exhibit high specific surface area (89.4 m2 g-1), and small particle size (∼86 nm). The gas sensor reveals unprecedented sensitivity (0.097 ppb-1) and ultra-low detection limit (0.74 ppb), surpassing all state-of-the-art allyl mercaptan gas sensors. Furthermore, a wireless gas sensor is constructed for highly selective and real-time monitoring of allyl mercaptan. The decoration of single-atom Au facilitates the adsorption and dissociation of oxygen and target gases. Simultaneously, the Ce dopant enhances the oxidation of allyl mercaptan. The sensing performance is boosted by the mesoporous framework of SnO2, as well as the synergistic sensitization effects resulting from single-atom Au decoration and Ce doping, thereby facilitating its potential application in environmental and health-related domains.

Wireless Gas Sensor Based on the Mesoporous ZnO-SnO2 Heterostructure Enables Ultrasensitive and Rapid Detection of 3-Methylbutyraldehyde

Achieving ultrasensitive and rapid detection of 3-methylbutyraldehyde is crucial for monitoring chemical intermediate leakage in pharmaceutical and chemical industries as well as diagnosing ventilator-associated pneumonia by monitoring exhaled gas. However, developing a sensitive and rapid method for detecting 3-methylbutyraldehyde poses challenges. Herein, a wireless chemiresistive gas sensor based on a mesoporous ZnO-SnO2 heterostructure is fabricated to enable the ultrasensitive and rapid detection of 3-methylbutyraldehyde for the first time. The mesoporous ZnO-SnO2 heterostructure exhibits a uniform spherical shape (∼79 nm in diameter), a high specific surface area (54.8 m2 g-1), a small crystal size (∼4 nm), and a large pore size (6.7 nm). The gas sensor demonstrates high response (18.98@20 ppm), short response/recovery times (13/13 s), and a low detection limit (0.48 ppm) toward 3-methylbutyraldehyde. Furthermore, a real-time monitoring system is developed utilizing microelectromechanical systems gas sensors. The modification of amorphous ZnO on the mesoporous SnO2 pore wall can effectively increase the chemisorbed oxygen content and the thickness of the electron depletion layer at the gas-solid interface, which facilitates the interface redox reaction and enhances the sensing performance. This work presents an initial example of semiconductor metal oxide gas sensors for efficient detection of 3-methylbutyraldehyde that holds great potential for ensuring safety during chemical production and disease diagnosis.

Oxygen vacancies induced by lanthanum-doped indium oxide nanofibers for promoted temperature-dependent triethylamine and formaldehyde sensing

A novel TEA and HCHO dual-function temperature-dependent sensing material (3La-In2O3) with ultra-high sensitivity was developed via a facile electrospinning process. Though rare earth doped in In2O3-based sensors have been widely reported, the low sensitivity, poor selectivity and high operating temperature remain restrict their application. Herein, the In2O3 nanofibers with different contents of La3+ ions are firstly obtained by a facile electrospinning process. The sensing performance investigation confirms that the 3% La/In molar ratio of La3+ doped in In2O3 nanofibers are more appropriate as the sensing material for TEA and HCHO detection. The 3La-In2O3 exhibits greatest response value of 3721.60-10 ppm TEA and 1469.65-10 ppm HCHO at their best working temperature (100 ℃ and 160 ℃), approximately 23.85-fold and 10.85-fold higher than that of pristine In2O3 nanofibers. In addition, the excellent selectivity, repeatability, and long-term stability ensure the further application of the 3La-In2O3-based sensor in actual environment. The promoted sensing performance is mainly ascribed to the more oxygen vacancies, the increasing specific surface area, the smaller grain size of In2O3 nanofibers induced by La3+ doping. The DFT results demonstrate the beneficial effect of La and oxygen vacancies on the improved target gas adsorption energy.

Effect of heterogenous dopant and high temperature pulse excitation on ozone sensing behavior of In2O3 nanostructures and an image recognition method coupled to ozone sensing array

Ground-level ozone (O3) is a primary air pollutant with potential adverse impacts on human health and ecosystems. Aiming to detect O3 concentration and develop efficient O3 sensing materials, sensing behavior of heterogenous cation (Fe3+, Sn4+ and Sb5+) doped In2O3 nanostructures was investigated. The incorporation of these cations modulated the electronic structure of semiconductor oxides, affecting the density of chemisorbed oxygen species and reactive sites. From O3 sensing results, Fe3+ doped In2O3 based sensors featuring saturated resistance curves in O3 gas, demonstrated fast sensing speed and qualified detection threshold (20 ppb). In contrast, Sn4+ and Sb5+ doped counterparts exhibited non-saturated sensing curves, resulting in slower response/recovery speed. As a proof-of-concept, these optimized sensors were integrated as the sensor array. Coupled to the image recognition technique, this sensor array could successfully discriminate O3 and NOx. That is, through the tailored combination of material modulation and sensor array, this study paves a novel approach for highly sensitive and selective O3 detection.