Mesoporous NiFe2O4 nanorods functionalized Pt catalysts dictates highly sensing performance to acetone detection

Abstract

NiFe2O4 is a promising sensing material for acetone detection, in which synthesizing 1D nanostructure and modulating the chemical composition are efficient strategies to enhance the sensing properties for multiple applications in reality. Herein, 1D precursor is hydrothermally synthesized using nitrilotriacetic acid (NTA) to chelate Fe3+ and Ni2+ ions. After thermal annealing, nanoparticles assembled 1D NiFe2O4 nanorods with mesoporous structures are prepared. The porous 1D structure yields a large surface area (197.1 m2/g), exposes more active sites as well as offers a suitable backbone for Pt nanoparticles functionalization, facilitating acetone detection. The gas sensor based on Pt functionalized NiFe2O4 nanorods exhibits high response of 48.2–100 ppm acetone at 160 °C with a rapid response and recovery time (10 s/26 s), low limits of detection (1 ppm), good selectivity, outstanding repeatability and reliable long-term durability (30 days). In addition, a good linearity of the response as a function of the acetone concentration from 1 to 200 ppm is fitted. These results may open a novel avenue to fabricate mesoporous 1D NiFe2O4 that is an extremely promising candidate for acetone detection.