A Method for Integrating ZnO Coated Nanosprings into a Low Cost Redox-Based Chemical Sensor and Catalytic Tool for Determining Gas Phase Reaction Kinetics

Chemosensors

Pavel V. Bakharev¹  Vladimir V. Dobrokhotov² 

[1] Department of Physics, University of Idaho, Moscow, ID 83844, USA;Department of Physics and Astronomy, Western Kentucky University, Bowling Green, KY 42101, USA; E-Mail:

关键词: chemiresistor;    nanosprings;    ZnO;    activation energies;   

DOI  :  10.3390/chemosensors2010056

来源: mdpi

【 摘 要 】

A chemical sensor (chemiresistor) was constructed from a xenon light bulb by coating it with a 3-D zinc oxide coated silica nanospring mat, where the xenon light bulb serves as the sensor heater. The sensor response to toluene as a function of xenon light bulb sensor temperature (T_LB) and vapor temperature (T_V) was observed and analyzed. The optimum operational parameters in terms of T_LB and T_V were determined to be 435 °C and 250 °C, respectively. The activation energy of toluene oxidation (E_d) on the ZnO surface was determined to be 87 kJ·mol⁻¹, while the activation energy of oxidation (E_a) of the depleted ZnO surface was determined to be 83 kJ·mol⁻¹. This study serves as proof of principle for integrating nanomaterials into an inexpensive sensor platform, which can also be used to characterize gas-solid, or vapor-solid, redox processes.

【 授权许可】

CC BY   
© 2014 by the authors; licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland.