Highly Sensitive and Selective Room-Temperature H₂S Detection Using N-Doped Carbon Nanofiber/Ni-ZnO Composites

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Nanotechnology
• Chemical Engineering

Background:

• Nitrogen-doped carbon nanofibers (NCNF) exhibit high surface area and porosity, crucial for sensing applications.
• Doping NCNF with semiconducting metal oxides enhances sensing capabilities, but processability remains a challenge.
• Developing efficient gas-sensing electronics requires advanced nanomaterials with improved performance and stability.

Purpose of the Study:

• To fabricate NCNF/Ni-ZnO nanocomposites using electrospinning for improved gas sensing.
• To investigate the synergistic effects between NCNF and Ni-ZnO nanoparticles.
• To evaluate the sensing performance, selectivity, and stability of the developed nanomaterials for H2S detection.

Main Methods:

• Electrospinning of polymer precursors to create NCNF.
• Impregnation of NCNF with uniformly distributed Ni-ZnO nanoparticles.
• Structural, crystallographic, and gas sensing analyses of NCNF/Ni-ZnO nanocomposites.

Main Results:

• NCNF/Ni-ZnO nanocomposites demonstrated synergistic effects, enhancing gas absorptivity and catalytic activity.
• The sensor exhibited high selectivity towards H2S at room temperature.
• Optimized NCNF with 15% Ni-ZnO doping showed a rapid response (65.6% at 200 ppm, 9.2 s response, 52.3 s recovery).
• A polynomial compensation strategy reduced humidity interference to <7% deviation, ensuring stability and repeatability.

Conclusions:

• NCNF/Ni-ZnO hybrids are highly sensitive, selective, and stable nanomaterials for gas sensing.
• The developed nanocomposites show significant potential for real-time H2S monitoring.
• Electrospinning provides a viable method for fabricating advanced NCNF-based gas sensors.