High performance H₂S gas sensor with UV-activated CuO nanosheets

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Chemical Engineering
• Environmental Monitoring

Background:

• Hydrogen sulfide (H₂S) detection is critical due to its toxicity and flammability.
• Conventional sensors pose explosion risks at room temperature.
• Need for low-power, room-temperature H₂S sensors.

Purpose of the Study:

• Develop a UV-activated chemiresistive sensor for room-temperature H₂S detection.
• Utilize copper oxide (CuO) nanosheets for enhanced sensor performance.
• Create a low-power, miniaturized H₂S sensing platform.

Main Methods:

• Synthesized CuO nanosheets via hydrothermal methods.
• Characterized morphology using scanning electron microscopy (SEM).
• Employed UV-LED activation for sensor operation.

Main Results:

• Achieved sensitive H₂S detection in the 1-100 ppm range at room temperature.
• Demonstrated fast response (80 s) and recovery (600 s) times for H₂S > 50 ppm.
• Exhibited excellent selectivity for H₂S over common interfering gases.
• Observed reduced performance with increasing humidity.

Conclusions:

• UV-activated CuO nanosheets enable sensitive and selective H₂S detection at room temperature.
• The developed sensor offers a safer alternative to conventional gas sensors.
• The platform is suitable for low-power, miniaturized H₂S monitoring applications.