Enhanced H2S gas sensing performance of ZnFe2O4/ZnO composite thick films synthesized via hydrothermal method

Document Type

Article

Publication Title

Journal of Materials Science Materials in Electronics

Abstract

A hydrothermal method was employed to synthesize pure ZnFe2O4 and the composite nanomaterial ZnFe2O4/ZnO. The crystal structure, phase purity and particle size were characterized using powder X-ray diffraction (XRD) and high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM) with selected area electron diffraction (SAED). Optical properties were studied through UV–visible absorption and FTIR spectroscopy. To explore their potential applications, pure ZnFe2O4 and ZnFe2O4/ZnO composite nanomaterials were used to fabricate thick-film gas sensors via screen printing. The surface morphology and elemental composition of the thick films were examined using field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM) coupled with energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS). The activation energy of both pure and composite nanomaterials was also evaluated. Gas sensing properties were investigated by measuring the sensor response to various probe gases (CO2, CO, H2, NH3, Cl2, and H2S) at different operating temperatures. The gas sensing tests revealed that the ZnFe2O4/ZnO composite sensor demonstrated superior sensitivity, faster response, and recovery times for 500 ppm H2S gas at lower operating temperatures compared to pure ZnFe2O4. These enhanced properties can be attributed to the unique rough, porous structure of the ZnFe2O4/ZnO composite and the heterojunction interactions at the ZnFe2O4/ZnO interfaces.

DOI

10.1007/s10854-025-16041-x

Publication Date

10-1-2025

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