Investigation on Butanone Sensing Properties of ZnO Sensor Under Different Calcination Temperature

The butanone sensor based on metal oxide semiconductor (MOS) are anticipated with a high response and a low detection limit through a simple process. In order to solve the issue of insufficient sensing performance of a pure metal oxide, high selective ZnO sensor with ppb detection limit are successfully prepared by convenient hydrothermal method, moreover, the particle size of materials is adjusted by calcination temperature based on the Deby length for optimizing the sensor performance. All sensors are tested for response in the concentration range of 0.2 ppm to 100 ppm butanone. When the particle size is closer to 2 times the Debye length, the material exhibits a higher response to 100 ppm of butanone at the optimum operating temperature. In particular, the synthesized M-ZnO-400 sensor has a response 151 to 100 ppm butanone at 310 °C, with the detection limit of 200 ppb, the response time of 4.5 s, as well as the recovery time of 5 s. It is worth noting that response of the prepared sensor to butanone is at least 62 times higher than that of chlorobenzene, vinyl benzene, xylene, toluene, benzene, acetaldehyde and formaldehyde. In addition, the population analysis for the different bonds of the target gases are calculated by first principles simulation to further explain the high selectivity of butanone.