Humidity-tolerant ammonia gas sensors based on PrOx/In2O3/WO3 heterostructure films

Gao, Weixiang; Chang, Xueting; Ola, Oluwafunmilola; Wang, Zhipeng; Liao, Qimeng; Zhu, Xiaojie; Li, Junfeng; Jiang, Yingchang; Wang, Dongsheng; Sun, Shibin

Abstract

Achieving selective detection of ammonia in humid environments, such as ports and terminals, is crucial for monitoring marine ammonia fuel leakage to safeguard personal safety. Herein, we demonstrate the PrOx/In2O3/WO3 (PIW) heterostructure films for ammonia detection with excellent humidity tolerance, which were fabricated by using a magnetron sputtering method. Gas-sensing experiments revealed that the PIW heterostructure film-based sensor exhibited a response value of 21.31 to 100 ppm ammonia, approximately 5.05 times higher than that of the pure WO3 sensor. In addition, the detection limit of the PIW heterostructure film-based sensor was as low as 0.5 ppm. Meanwhile, the PIW sensor possessed a fast response/recovery rate of 7/21 s. Furthermore, the ideal hydrophobicity and the redox reactions between the Pr3+ and Pr4+ ions contributed to the excellent humidity tolerance of the PIW heterostructure films. Finally, a wireless ammonia-sensing system based on the PIW sensor was constructed to realize the real-time monitoring of ammonia concentrations under high relative humidity conditions. This study provides a novel strategy for fabricating metal oxide semiconductors-based gas sensors with humidity-independent performance.

Citation

Gao, W., Chang, X., Ola, O., Wang, Z., Liao, Q., Zhu, X., Li, J., Jiang, Y., Wang, D., & Sun, S. (2025). Humidity-tolerant ammonia gas sensors based on PrOx/In2O3/WO3 heterostructure films. Chemical Engineering Journal, 509, Article 161482. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cej.2025.161482

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Mar 10, 2025
• Online Publication Date: Mar 11, 2025
• Publication Date: Apr 1, 2025
• Deposit Date: Mar 13, 2025
• Publicly Available Date: Mar 12, 2026
• Journal: Chemical Engineering Journal
• Print ISSN: 1385-8947
• Electronic ISSN: 1873-5606
• Publisher: Elsevier
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 509
• Article Number: 161482
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cej.2025.161482
• Public URL: https://nottingham-repository.worktribe.com/output/46468153
• Publisher URL: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1385894725023046?via%3Dihub