Autocombustion Route Derived Zinc Ferrite Nanoparticles as Chemiresistive Sensor for Detection of Alcohol Vapors

• Published in: Chemphyschem Vol. 25; no. 14; pp. e202300730 - n/a
• Main Authors: Bhagat, B., Gupta, Santosh K., Mandal, D., Bandyopadhyay, R., Mukherjee, K.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Germany Wiley Subscription Services, Inc 15-07-2024
• Subjects: Alcohol; Alcohols; Boiling points; Chemiresistive sensors; Ethanol; Irritation; Nanoparticles; Nervous system; Operating temperature; Semiconducting metal oxides; Sensors; Target detection; Volatile organics; Zinc ferrite; Zinc ferrites; Chemiresistive sensors; Zinc ferrite; Volatile organics; Semiconducting metal oxides
• ISSN: 1439-4235; 1439-7641; 1439-7641
• DOI: 10.1002/cphc.202300730

Prolonged exposure to alcohol vapors can have detrimental effects on human health, potentially leading to eye irritation, dizziness, and in some cases, damage to the nervous system. The present article aims to provide a comprehensive understanding on the synthesis and characterization of zinc ferrite (ZnFe2O4) nanoparticles, as well as their interactions with a range of alcohol vapors, including methanol, ethanol, n‐propanol, and isopropanol. These alcohols differ in their molecular weight, boiling points, diffusivity, and other properties. The study reveals the semiconducting ZnFe2O4 nanoparticulate sensor‘s capability for reversible, repeatable, and sensitive detection of alcohol vapors. The sensor exhibits the highest response to ethanol within operating temperature range (225–300 °C). An attempt is made to establish a correlation between the properties of the target analytes and the observed sensing signals. Additionally, the response conductance transients of ZnFe2O4 under the exposure to the studied alcohol vapors are modeled based on the Langmuir‐Hinshelwood adsorption mechanism. The characteristic time constants obtained from this modeling are justified with respect to the properties of the analytes.
The article explores zinc ferrite (ZnFe2O4) nanoparticles′ synthesis, characterization, and their interaction with alcohol vapors, focusing on methanol, ethanol, n‐propanol, and isopropanol. The study reveals a semiconducting sensor‘s high sensitivity to ethanol within a 225–300 °C range. It correlates sensing signals with alcohol properties and models response conductance transients using the Langmuir‐Hinshelwood mechanism, estimating kinetic parameters for validation