Research of a ZnO-based gas sensor for detection of hazardous chemicals at critical infrastructure facilities
Keywords:
ZnO, gas sensor, magnetron sputtering, standard temperature, ammonia, relative humiditySynopsis
A gas sensor based on ZnO has been designed, which demonstrates sensitivity to NH3 under standard conditions (temperature, 25 °С; pressure, 101.3 kPa). The experimental sample was manufactured by magnetron sputtering at direct current. To analyze the efficiency of the gas sensor to ammonia (NH3) under standard conditions, its operating characteristics were studied. The concentration of NH3 for investigating operating characteristics was chosen at the level of 25 ppm. Based on the results of investigating the current-voltage characteristics, which have a linear character, the resistivity of the contacts was confirmed. To study the sensitivity of the gas sensor to the target gas, the change in resistance of the sensitive layer of the gas sensor under the influence of NH3 with a concentration of 25 ppm under standard conditions was explored. The study results demonstrated the high sensitivity of the gas sensor to the target gas – at the level of 229 relative units. The investigation of the response and recovery time of the gas sensor showed that the ZnO-based gas sensor has a response and recovery time of 20 and 26 s, respectively. The selectivity of the ZnO-based gas sensor was studied. The selectivity study was carried out by determining the sensitivity of the gas sensor in the presence of vapors of various gases, namely methanol, ethanol, acetone. The study results showed that the reaction to ammonia is selective compared to the reaction to other gases. The results of examining the working characteristics of the ammonia gas sensor demonstrate the high efficiency of its application under standard conditions and a low concentration of the target gas. The dependence of the operating parameters of the gas sensor on the influence of relative humidity was investigated. It was found that with increasing humidity, the electrical resistance of the gas sensor decreases and, accordingly, the sensitivity to the target gas decreases. A significant reaction of the gas sensor to an increase in humidity was observed in the range of 65–80 % relative humidity. The mechanism of influence of relative humidity on the sensitivity of a gas sensor based on ZnO was investigated. The change in resistance of the gas sensor is caused by trapped electrons on adsorbed oxygen molecules on the surface of the sensitive layer. Adsorption of water on the surface of zinc oxide occurs according to the dissociation mechanism, which consists in the adsorption of steam molecules or hydroxyl groups with the subsequent displacement of previously adsorbed oxygen and free electrons and, accordingly, leads to a decrease in the sensitivity of the gas sensor.
References
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Kumar, L., Rawal, I., Kaur, A., Annapoorni, S. (2017). Flexible room temperature ammonia sensor based on polyaniline. Sensors and Actuators B: Chemical, 240, 408–416. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.snb.2016.08.173
Zhao, S., Shen, Y., Yan, X., Zhou, P., Yin, Y., Lu, R. et al. (2019). Complex-surfactant-assisted hydrothermal synthesis of one-dimensional ZnO nanorods for high-performance ethanol gas sensor. Sensors and Actuators B: Chemical, 286, 501–511. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.snb.2019.01.127
Xuan, J., Zhao, G., Sun, M., Jia, F., Wang, X., Zhou, T. et al. (2020). Low-temperature operating ZnO-based NO2 sensors: a review. RSC Advances, 10 (65), 39786–39807. https://doi.org/10.1039/d0ra07328h
Liu, W., Chen, Z., Si, X., Tong, H., Guo, J., Zhang, Z. et al. (2023). Facile synthesis of Pt catalysts functionalized porous ZnO nanowires with enhanced gas-sensing properties. Journal of Alloys and Compounds, 947, 169486. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jallcom.2023.169486
Miasoiedova, A., Minska, N., Shevchenko, R., Azarenkо, O., Lukashenko, V., Kyrychenko, O. et al. (2023). Improving the manufacturing technology of sensing gas sensors based on zinc oxide by using the method of magnetron sputtering on direct current. Eastern-European Journal of Enterprise Technologies, 2 (5 (122)), 31–37. https://doi.org/10.15587/1729-4061.2023.277428
Minska, N., Hvozd, V., Shevchenko, O., Slepuzhnikov, Y., Murasov, R., Khrystych, V. et al. (2023). Devising technological solutions for gas sensors based on zinc oxide for use at critical infrastructure facilities. Eastern-European Journal of Enterprise Technologies, 4 (5 (124)), 34–40. https://doi.org/10.15587/1729-4061.2023.286546
Agarwal, S., Rai, P., Gatell, E. N., Llobet, E., Güell, F., Kumar, M., Awasthi, K. (2019). Gas sensing properties of ZnO nanostructures (flowers/rods) synthesized by hydrothermal method. Sensors and Actuators B: Chemical, 292, 24–31. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.snb.2019.04.083
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Bian, H., Ma, S., Sun, A., Xu, X., Yang, G., Yan, S. et al. (2016). Improvement of acetone gas sensing performance of ZnO nanoparticles. Journal of Alloys and Compounds, 658, 629–635. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jallcom.2015.09.217
Yan, H., Song, P., Zhang, S., Yang, Z., Wang, Q. (2016). Facile synthesis, characterization and gas sensing performance of ZnO nanoparticles-coated MoS2 nanosheets. Journal of Alloys and Compounds, 662, 118–125. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jallcom.2015.12.066
Umar, A., Khan, M. A., Kumar, R., Algarni, H. (2018). Ag-Doped ZnO Nanoparticles for Enhanced Ethanol Gas Sensing Application. Journal of Nanoscience and Nanotechnology, 18 (5), 3557–3562. https://doi.org/10.1166/jnn.2018.14651
Zhang, D., Yang, Z., Li, P., Zhou, X. (2019). Ozone gas sensing properties of metal-organic frameworks-derived In2O3 hollow microtubes decorated with ZnO nanoparticles. Sensors and Actuators B: Chemical, 301, 127081. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.snb.2019.127081
Hübner, M., Simion, C. E., Tomescu-Stănoiu, A., Pokhrel, S., Bârsan, N., Weimar, U. (2011). Influence of humidity on CO sensing with p-type CuO thick film gas sensors. Sensors and Actuators B: Chemical, 153 (2), 347–353. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.snb.2010.10.046
Buryy, O., Ubizskii, S. В. (2017). Nanostructured gas sensors: the state of the art and perspectives for research. Visnyk Natsionalnoho universytetu «Lvivska politekhnika». Seriya: Radioelektronika ta telekomunikatsiyi, 885, 113–131. Available at: https://science.lpnu.ua/sites/default/files/journal-paper/2018/jun/13517/17.pdf
Popov, O., Ivaschenko, T., Markina, L., Yatsyshyn, T., Iatsyshyn, A., Lytvynenko, O.; Zaporozhets, A. (Ed.) (2023). Peculiarities of Specialized Software Tools Used for Consequences Assessment of Accidents at Chemically Hazardous Facilities. Systems, Decision and Control in Energy V. Springer, 779–798. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-35088-7_45
Parihar, V., Raja, M., Paulose, R. (2018). A Brief Review of Structural, Electrical and Electrochemical Properties of Zinc Oxide Nanoparticles. Reviews on advanced materials science, 53 (2), 119–130. https://doi.org/10.1515/rams-2018-0009
Deyneko, N., Kovalev, P., Semkiv, O., Khmyrov, I., Shevchenko, R. (2019). Development of a technique for restoring the efficiency of film ITO/CdS/CdTe/Cu/Au SCs after degradation. Eastern-European Journal of Enterprise Technologies, 1 (5 (97)), 6–12. https://doi.org/10.15587/1729-4061.2019.156565
Deyneko, N., Kryvulkin, I., Matiushenko, M., Tarasenko, O., Khmyrov, I., Khmyrova, A., Shevchenko, R. (2019). Investigation of photoelectric converters with a base cadmium telluride layer with a decrease in its thickness for tandem and two-sided sensitive instrument structures. EUREKA: Physics and Engineering, 5, 73–80. https://doi.org/10.21303/2461-4262.2019.001002
Ghavam, S., Vahdati, M., Wilson, I. A. G., Styring, P. (2021). Sustainable Ammonia Production Processes. Frontiers in Energy Research, 9. https://doi.org/10.3389/fenrg.2021.580808
Kwak, D., Lei, Y., Maric, R. (2019). Ammonia gas sensors: A comprehensive review. Talanta, 204, 713–730. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.talanta.2019.06.034
Arnone, M., Koppisch, D., Smola, T., Gabriel, S., Verbist, K., Visser, R. (2015). Hazard banding in compliance with the new Globally Harmonised System (GHS) for use in control banding tools. Regulatory Toxicology and Pharmacology, 73 (1), 287–295. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.yrtph.2015.07.014
Corkery, G., Ward, S., Kenny, C., Hemmingway, P. (2013). Monitoring environmental parameters in poultry production facilities. Computer Aided Process Engineering, CAPE Forum 2013. Graz: Graz University of Technology. Available at: http://hdl.handle.net/10197/4257
Popov, O., Kovach, V., Iatsyshyn, A., Pecheny, V., Kutsenko, V., Lahoiko, A. Modern Measuring Tools to Develop Efficient Atmospheric Air Monitoring Systems Based on UAVs. Systems, Decision and Control in Energy VI: Volume II: Power Engineering and Environmental Safety. Cham: Springer Nature Switzerland, 2024. 519-535.
Duong, P. A., Bae, J.-W., Lee, C., Yang, D. H., Kang, H. (2025). Numerical Study on Ammonia Dispersion and Explosion Characteristics in Confined Space of Marine Fuel Preparation Room. Journal of Marine Science and Engineering, 13 (7), 1235. https://doi.org/10.3390/jmse13071235
Vambol, S., Vambol, V., Kondratenko, O., Suchikova, Y., Hurenko, O. (2017). Assessment of improvement of ecological safety of power plants by arranging the system of pollutant neutralization. Eastern-European Journal of Enterprise Technologies, 3 (10 (87)), 63–73. https://doi.org/10.15587/1729-4061.2017.102314
Tu, Y., Kyle, C., Luo, H., Zhang, D.-W., Das, A., Briscoe, J. et al. (2020). Ammonia Gas Sensor Response of a Vertical Zinc Oxide Nanorod-Gold Junction Diode at Room Temperature. ACS Sensors, 5 (11), 3568–3575. https://doi.org/10.1021/acssensors.0c01769
Seekaew, Y., Pon-On, W., Wongchoosuk, C. (2019). Ultrahigh Selective Room-Temperature Ammonia Gas Sensor Based on Tin–Titanium Dioxide/reduced Graphene/Carbon Nanotube Nanocomposites by the Solvothermal Method. ACS Omega, 4 (16), 16916–16924. https://doi.org/10.1021/acsomega.9b02185
Maity, A., Raychaudhuri, A. K., Ghosh, B. (2019). High sensitivity NH3 gas sensor with electrical readout made on paper with perovskite halide as sensor material. Scientific Reports, 9 (1). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-019-43961-6
Husain, A. (2021). Electrical conductivity based ammonia, methanol and acetone vapour sensing studies on newly synthesized polythiophene/molybdenum oxide nanocomposite. Journal of Science: Advanced Materials and Devices, 6 (4), 528–537. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jsamd.2021.07.002
Seekaew, Y., Lokavee, S., Phokharatkul, D., Wisitsoraat, A., Kerdcharoen, T., Wongchoosuk, C. (2014). Low-cost and flexible printed graphene – PEDOT:PSS gas sensor for ammonia detection. Organic Electronics, 15 (11), 2971–2981. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.orgel.2014.08.044
Kumar, L., Rawal, I., Kaur, A., Annapoorni, S. (2017). Flexible room temperature ammonia sensor based on polyaniline. Sensors and Actuators B: Chemical, 240, 408–416. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.snb.2016.08.173
Zhao, S., Shen, Y., Yan, X., Zhou, P., Yin, Y., Lu, R. et al. (2019). Complex-surfactant-assisted hydrothermal synthesis of one-dimensional ZnO nanorods for high-performance ethanol gas sensor. Sensors and Actuators B: Chemical, 286, 501–511. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.snb.2019.01.127
Xuan, J., Zhao, G., Sun, M., Jia, F., Wang, X., Zhou, T. et al. (2020). Low-temperature operating ZnO-based NO2 sensors: a review. RSC Advances, 10 (65), 39786–39807. https://doi.org/10.1039/d0ra07328h
Liu, W., Chen, Z., Si, X., Tong, H., Guo, J., Zhang, Z. et al. (2023). Facile synthesis of Pt catalysts functionalized porous ZnO nanowires with enhanced gas-sensing properties. Journal of Alloys and Compounds, 947, 169486. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jallcom.2023.169486
Miasoiedova, A., Minska, N., Shevchenko, R., Azarenkо, O., Lukashenko, V., Kyrychenko, O. et al. (2023). Improving the manufacturing technology of sensing gas sensors based on zinc oxide by using the method of magnetron sputtering on direct current. Eastern-European Journal of Enterprise Technologies, 2 (5 (122)), 31–37. https://doi.org/10.15587/1729-4061.2023.277428
Minska, N., Hvozd, V., Shevchenko, O., Slepuzhnikov, Y., Murasov, R., Khrystych, V. et al. (2023). Devising technological solutions for gas sensors based on zinc oxide for use at critical infrastructure facilities. Eastern-European Journal of Enterprise Technologies, 4 (5 (124)), 34–40. https://doi.org/10.15587/1729-4061.2023.286546
Agarwal, S., Rai, P., Gatell, E. N., Llobet, E., Güell, F., Kumar, M., Awasthi, K. (2019). Gas sensing properties of ZnO nanostructures (flowers/rods) synthesized by hydrothermal method. Sensors and Actuators B: Chemical, 292, 24–31. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.snb.2019.04.083
Dral, A. P., ten Elshof, J. E. (2018). 2D metal oxide nanoflakes for sensing applications: Review and perspective. Sensors and Actuators B: Chemical, 272, 369–392. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.snb.2018.05.157
Bian, H., Ma, S., Sun, A., Xu, X., Yang, G., Yan, S. et al. (2016). Improvement of acetone gas sensing performance of ZnO nanoparticles. Journal of Alloys and Compounds, 658, 629–635. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jallcom.2015.09.217
Yan, H., Song, P., Zhang, S., Yang, Z., Wang, Q. (2016). Facile synthesis, characterization and gas sensing performance of ZnO nanoparticles-coated MoS2 nanosheets. Journal of Alloys and Compounds, 662, 118–125. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jallcom.2015.12.066
Umar, A., Khan, M. A., Kumar, R., Algarni, H. (2018). Ag-Doped ZnO Nanoparticles for Enhanced Ethanol Gas Sensing Application. Journal of Nanoscience and Nanotechnology, 18 (5), 3557–3562. https://doi.org/10.1166/jnn.2018.14651
Zhang, D., Yang, Z., Li, P., Zhou, X. (2019). Ozone gas sensing properties of metal-organic frameworks-derived In2O3 hollow microtubes decorated with ZnO nanoparticles. Sensors and Actuators B: Chemical, 301, 127081. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.snb.2019.127081
Hübner, M., Simion, C. E., Tomescu-Stănoiu, A., Pokhrel, S., Bârsan, N., Weimar, U. (2011). Influence of humidity on CO sensing with p-type CuO thick film gas sensors. Sensors and Actuators B: Chemical, 153 (2), 347–353. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.snb.2010.10.046
Text Identifier of this Chapter
Chapter 3
Published
April 29, 2025
Series
Copyright (c) 2026 Natalia Minska, Artem Huz, Volodymyr Kradozhon, Roman Melezhyk, Mykhailo Murin, Vasyl Rotar, Nataliia Tregub
How to Cite
Minska, N., Huz, A., Kradozhon, V., Melezhyk, R., Murin, M., Rotar, V., & Tregub, N. (2025). Research of a ZnO-based gas sensor for detection of hazardous chemicals at critical infrastructure facilities. In Y. Pushkarova, G. Zaitseva, O. Ishchenko, O. Sumska, V. Bessarabov, G. Kuzmina, L. Vognivenko, N. Pelykh, N. Minska, A. Huz, V. Kradozhon, R. Melezhyk, M. Murin, V. Rotar, & N. Tregub, In press. Chemical engineering: innovations in materials and processes. Scientific Route OÜ®. https://monograph.route.ee/rout/catalog/book/Chemical_engineering_innovations_in_materials_and_processes/chapter/166
