Scholarlink

<p>The detection of low-concentration acetone gas is of great significance, especially in the fields of medical diagnosis (e.g., non-invasive blood glucose monitoring for diabetes) and chemical detection. ZnO/CeO₂ composite aerogel sensing materials possess advantages such as abundant pore structures and unique gas-sensing performance, exhibiting great potential in this application. A key novelty of this work lies in the preparation of ZnO/CeO₂ composite aerogel sensing materials with different Zn/Ce molar ratios (1:1, 1:2, 1:3, 2:1, 3:1) via a surfactant-free and template-free route, combining the sol–gel method, CO₂ supercritical drying method, and high-temperature calcination method. This surfactant-free and template-free synthesis not only simplifies the preparation process but also avoids the residual impurities caused by surfactants/template agents, thereby ensuring the purity of the composite aerogels and optimizing their gas-sensing performance. The prepared products were systematically characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy dispersive X-ray spectrometer (EDS), X-ray photoelectron spectrometer (XPS), and N₂ adsorption–desorption curves. The gas response is defined as the ratio of the sensor resistance in acetone gas (Rg) to that in air (Ra) (Response = Rg/Ra). All sensing tests were performed at an optimal operating temperature of 300&#xa0;°C (the optimal operating temperature determined from the sensing performance tests of all samples). The results show that all five materials successfully form the mesoporous structure of aerogels, and all exhibit good performance in detecting low-concentration acetone gas (0.5–10&#xa0;ppm). Subsequently, comparative analysis of the sensing properties of the five samples with different proportions revealed that the material with a Zn:Ce molar ratio of 1:2 exhibits the best sensing performance, showing excellent gas responses of 10.81 and 2.11 at 10&#xa0;ppm and 0.5&#xa0;ppm acetone gas, respectively. The superior performance of the Zn:Ce = 1:2 sample is primarily attributed to its distinct morphological advantages observed in the SEM images. Specifically, this sample exhibits a uniformly distributed three-dimensional network structure with well-connected and homogeneous pores, which facilitates efficient gas diffusion and provides abundant active sites for acetone adsorption. Meanwhile, the SEM images reveal a relatively compact yet porous architecture that minimizes grain boundaries while maintaining sufficient surface accessibility, collectively leading to the optimal sensing performance. This surfactant-free ZnO/CeO₂ composite aerogel may have potential applications in the diagnosis of diabetes and chemical detection of low-concentration acetone.</p>

错误：搜索内容不能为空，请输入英文关键词
错误：关键词超出字数限制，请精简
高级检索

High-performance ZnO/CeO₂ composite aerogel sensing materials for low-concentration acetone gas detection

  • 期刊论文

  • 发表日期：

    2026年6月22日

查看全文
  • Yunlong Chen,
  • Sisi Chen,
  • Wenjing Cai,
  • Jiaxuan Liao,
  • Xiongbang Wei

摘要

The detection of low-concentration acetone gas is of great significance, especially in the fields of medical diagnosis (e.g., non-invasive blood glucose monitoring for diabetes) and chemical detection. ZnO/CeO₂ composite aerogel sensing materials possess advantages such as abundant pore structures and unique gas-sensing performance, exhibiting great potential in this application. A key novelty of this work lies in the preparation of ZnO/CeO₂ composite aerogel sensing materials with different Zn/Ce molar ratios (1:1, 1:2, 1:3, 2:1, 3:1) via a surfactant-free and template-free route, combining the sol–gel method, CO₂ supercritical drying method, and high-temperature calcination method. This surfactant-free and template-free synthesis not only simplifies the preparation process but also avoids the residual impurities caused by surfactants/template agents, thereby ensuring the purity of the composite aerogels and optimizing their gas-sensing performance. The prepared products were systematically characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy dispersive X-ray spectrometer (EDS), X-ray photoelectron spectrometer (XPS), and N₂ adsorption–desorption curves. The gas response is defined as the ratio of the sensor resistance in acetone gas (Rg) to that in air (Ra) (Response = Rg/Ra). All sensing tests were performed at an optimal operating temperature of 300 °C (the optimal operating temperature determined from the sensing performance tests of all samples). The results show that all five materials successfully form the mesoporous structure of aerogels, and all exhibit good performance in detecting low-concentration acetone gas (0.5–10 ppm). Subsequently, comparative analysis of the sensing properties of the five samples with different proportions revealed that the material with a Zn:Ce molar ratio of 1:2 exhibits the best sensing performance, showing excellent gas responses of 10.81 and 2.11 at 10 ppm and 0.5 ppm acetone gas, respectively. The superior performance of the Zn:Ce = 1:2 sample is primarily attributed to its distinct morphological advantages observed in the SEM images. Specifically, this sample exhibits a uniformly distributed three-dimensional network structure with well-connected and homogeneous pores, which facilitates efficient gas diffusion and provides abundant active sites for acetone adsorption. Meanwhile, the SEM images reveal a relatively compact yet porous architecture that minimizes grain boundaries while maintaining sufficient surface accessibility, collectively leading to the optimal sensing performance. This surfactant-free ZnO/CeO₂ composite aerogel may have potential applications in the diagnosis of diabetes and chemical detection of low-concentration acetone.