Hole concentration modulated gas sensor for selective detection of 2-methoxy ethanol

Abstract

The inhaling rate of toxic gases in daily life is increasing alarmingly; in turn, human health is in question. To resolve this dilemma, the possible remedy is the early detection and adequate regulation of VOCs in the atmosphere via sensors. Therefore, the investigation focused on developing a gas sensor for sensing several VOCs and flourished with a highly selective C3H8O2 gas sensor at room temperature. In-depth structural, elemental, and morphological analysis followed by the sensing test affirmed the enhanced C3H8O2 detection performance of Ag–NiO over pure NiO. The nanosized sphere formation was confirmed via XRD and TEM characterizations alongside the effect of sintered temperature on the shape and crystallite size. Moreover, the XPS examined the combined effect of sintering temperature and doping on the synthesized nanostructures and optimized the exact temperature as 500 °C because of the improved hole concentration. The Ag–NiO(500 °C) exhibited appealing sensing characteristics, specifically, a high response of 6491.57 for 100 ppm C3H8O2 at room temperature. The sensor displayed a quick response and recovery (10 s,10 s) C3H8O2 alongside long-term repeatability and stability; it showed practical implementation in real-time scenarios.