A New Low-Temperature Electrochemical Hydrocarbon and NO_x Sensor

In this article, a new investigation on a low-temperature electrochemical hydrocarbon and NO_x sensor is presented. Based on the mixed-potential-based sensing scheme, the sensor is constructed using platinum and metal oxide electrodes, along with an Yttria-Stabilized Zirconia (YSZ)/Strontium Titanate (SrTiO₃) thin-film electrolyte. Unlike traditional mixed-potential sensors which operate at higher temperatures (>400 °C), this potentiometric sensor operates at 200 °C with dominant hydrocarbon (HC) and NO_x response in the open-circuit and biased modes, respectively. The possible low-temperature operation of the sensor is speculated to be primarily due to the enhanced oxygen ion conductivity of the electrolyte, which may be attributed to the space charge effect, epitaxial strain, and atomic reconstruction at the interface of the YSZ/STO thin film. The response and recovery time for the NO_x sensor are found to be 7 s and 8 s, respectively. The sensor exhibited stable response even after 120 days of testing, with an 11.4% decrease in HC response and a 3.3% decrease in NO_x response.