MXene/In2S3 micro-nano composites for heighten the select specificity and rapid response to triethylamine

Abstract

Molecular responsive materials with fast, stable, and specific selectivity are a key focus of chemical sensor technology research. In the field of triethylamine (TEA) sensor technology, developing TEA-selective responsive materials with superior performance is of great significance for promoting technological progress and industrialization of TEA sensor technology. In this study, MXene/In2S3 micro-nano powder was prepared by combining Ti3C2Tx-type MXene with nano-sized In2S3. The morphology, structure, and structure-performance relationship of the material were characterized and analyzed using SEM, TEM, XRD, HAADF, and XPS. Through experiments, it was confirmed that MXene/In2S3 exhibited outstanding specific selectivity to TEA. At a TEA concentration of 20 ppm and a temperature of 210 °C, the response value of the material to TEA was 8.74, while other typical gas molecules such as aldehydes, ketones, and aromatics showed almost no response, demonstrating excellent selectivity for TEA molecules. The response/recovery time was 19 s/42 s, and the response value was stable over 20 consecutive cycles, indicating excellent reliability of the material. In addition, in the concentration range of 1–500 ppm, the response value of the MXene/In2S3 material to TEA concentration followed an exponential fitting of the asymptotic model, with the formula y = a-b*cx and R2 of 0.99472. Furthermore, the selection and response process of MXene/In2S3 micro-nano materials and TEA molecules were analyzed from the molecular internal structure, and it was found that the selective response characteristics of the material to TEA were related to its microstructure, including shape adsorption.