A synergistic strategy via trace cobalt doping: Mesoporous engineering and electronic structure modulation of ZIF-8...

Accurate detection of exhaled acetone is of great significance for intelligent diabetes management; however, its low concentration (ppm level) and the high-humidity breath environment impose substantial challenges on the sensitivity and selectivity of sensing materials. In this work, a synergistic strategy integrating mesoporous structure engineering with electronic structure modulation is proposed. A bimetallic metal-organic framework (MOF) template approach combined with precise regulation of the metal ratio enables gradient control of morphology, resulting in hollow architectures with breath-like dimensional variation. The obtained material delivers a high response toward acetone (R_a/R_g = 209.2@100 ppm) at 240 °C, together with excellent humidity tolerance, outperforming conventional nanoscale sensing materials and demonstrating promising applicability for breath analysis in diabetic patients. Density functional theory (DFT) calculations further indicate that Co²⁺ plays dual roles as a lattice strain inducer and electron donor, synergistically increasing oxygen vacancy concentration and enhancing surface reactivity. This study not only provides a high-performance candidate material for next-generation noninvasive diagnostic gas sensors but also establishes a rational design strategy for addressing sensing challenges in complex biological gas-phase environments by elucidating the intrinsic relationship among macroscopic morphology, surface chemistry and sensing performance.