ZnSnO3 based gas sensors for pyridine volatile marker detection in rice aging during storage

This study reports the development of ZnSnO3 based gas sensors for pyridine detection in rice aging. Pyridine is one of heterocyclic markers formed via Maillard reaction and lipid oxidation. Herein, graphitic carbon nitride (g-C3N4) decorated ZnSnO3 microstructures were obtained through a template-free approach. And the sensing results reveal that 5 wt%g-C3N4 decorated ZnSnO3 exhibited a high sensitivity (47.9), a short response/recovery time (14/120 s) and a low detection limit (0.45 ppm), which is due to the catalysis of g-C3N4 nanosheets, the decorated microstructure and the formation of heterojunctions. Meanwhile, the practical experiment demonstrates that the sensitivity towards volatiles generated from Japonica rice aging is 48.7, which is around 4 and 2.5 times higher than those of Indica rice and Polished Glutinous rice, indicating that the sensor has anticipated application in the development of a high-performance E-nose for the quality inspection of rice and other products.