Highly sensitive and selective detection of ppb-level acetone sensor using WO3/Au/SnO2 ternary composite gas sensor

Zhu, Xiaojie; Ola, Oluwafunmilola; Li, Cong; Gao, Weixiang; Wang, Zhipeng; Dai, Changqian; Jiang, Yingchang; Sun, Shibin; Chang, Xueting

Abstract

Developing acetone sensors with high sensitivity and selectivity at ppb level is critical for medical diagnostics and environmental monitoring while facing serious challenges. In this work, we presented a ppb-level acetone sensor based on a WO3/Au/SnO2 ternary composite film with a sandwich structure that was obtained by combined methods of radio-frequency (RF) magnetron sputtering and ion beam sputtering. The structural and compositional characteristics of the WO3/Au/SnO2 composite film were analyzed by electron microscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The WO3/Au/SnO2 composite sensor possessed high response (28.9–50 ppm), low optimum working temperature (200 °C), fast response/recovery time (5.5/10.5 s), ultralow detection limit (170 ppb), good repeatability, and ideal long-term stability. The excellent gas-sensing performance of WO3/Au/SnO2 composite sensor could be mainly attributed to the construction of the heterostructures between different components and the chemical sensitization effect of the noble metal Au interlayer.

Citation

Zhu, X., Ola, O., Li, C., Gao, W., Wang, Z., Dai, C., Jiang, Y., Sun, S., & Chang, X. (2025). Highly sensitive and selective detection of ppb-level acetone sensor using WO3/Au/SnO2 ternary composite gas sensor. Ceramics International, 51(15), 20094-20102. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ceramint.2025.02.173

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Feb 12, 2025
• Online Publication Date: Feb 13, 2025
• Publication Date: 2025-06
• Deposit Date: Feb 14, 2025
• Publicly Available Date: Feb 14, 2026
• Journal: Ceramics International
• Print ISSN: 0272-8842
• Electronic ISSN: 1873-3956
• Publisher: Elsevier
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 51
• Issue: 15
• Pages: 20094-20102
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ceramint.2025.02.173
• Keywords: WO3/Au/SnO2 composite, Acetone sensor, Sputtering, Ppb-level, Heterostructures
• Public URL: https://nottingham-repository.worktribe.com/output/45314532
• Publisher URL: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0272884225008417