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. 2018 Jul 10;18(7):2211.
doi: 10.3390/s18072211.

Highly Sensitive Acetone Gas Sensor Based on g-C₃N₄ Decorated MgFe₂O₄ Porous Microspheres Composites

Run Zhang  1   2 , Yan Wang  3   4 , Zhanying Zhang  5 , Jianliang Cao  6   7
Affiliations

Highly Sensitive Acetone Gas Sensor Based on g-C₃N₄ Decorated MgFe₂O₄ Porous Microspheres Composites

Run Zhang et al. Sensors (Basel). .

Abstract

The g-C₃N₄ decorated magnesium ferrite (MgFe₂O₄) porous microspheres composites were successfully obtained via a one-step solvothermal method. The structure and morphology of the as-prepared MgFe₂O₄/g-C₃N₄ composites were characterized by the techniques of X-ray diffraction (XRD), field-emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), thermal gravity and differential scanning calorimeter (TG⁻DSC) and N₂-sorption. The gas sensing properties of the samples were measured and compared with a pure MgFe₂O₄-based sensor. The maximum response of the sensor based on MgFe₂O₄/g-C₃N₄ composites with 10 wt % g-C₃N₄ content to acetone is improved by about 145 times, while the optimum temperature was lowered by 60 °C. Moreover, the sensing mechanism and the reason for improving gas sensing performance were also discussed.

Keywords: MgFe2O4 porous microspheres; acetone; composites; g-C3N4 nanosheet; gas sensing.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
(a) The CGS-4TPS gas-sensing test system and (b) the gas sensor substrate.
Figure 2
Figure 2
XRD patterns of g-C3N4, MgFe2O4 porous microspheres and MgFe2O4/g-C3N4 composites with different g-C3N4 contents.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Scanning electron microscope (SEM) images of (a) g-C3N4; (b) MgFe2O4 porous microspheres and (c) MgFe2O4/g-C3N4 composite; as well as transmission electron microscopy (TEM) images of (d) g-C3N4; (e) MgFe2O4 porous microspheres and (f) MgFe2O4/g-C3N4 composite.
Figure 4
Figure 4
Thermogravimetry–differential scanning calorimeter (TG–DSC) profiles of g-C3N4 and MgFe2O4/g-C3N4-10 composites.
Figure 5
Figure 5
N2 adsorption–desorption isotherms and (inset) the corresponding pore size distribution curves of the MgFe2O4 porous microspheres and MgFe2O4/g-C3N4-10 composites.
Figure 6
Figure 6
Response values of the sensors based on pure MgFe2O4, MgFe2O4/g-C3N4-5, MgFe2O4/g-C3N4-10 and MgFe2O4/g-C3N4-15 composites to 500 ppm acetone as a function of operating temperature.
Figure 7
Figure 7
The response value of the sensors based on (a) MgFe2O4/g-C3N4-10 and (b) MgFe2O4 porous microspheres to the varied concentrations of acetone at the working temperature of 320 °C and their fitting linear.
Figure 8
Figure 8
Response values of the sensors based on MgFe2O4 and MgFe2O4/g-C3N4-10 to 500 ppm of different types of tested gas at working temperature of 320 °C.
Figure 9
Figure 9
Response–recovery time curve of MgFe2O4/g-C3N4-10-based sensor to 500 ppm acetone at working temperature of 320 °C.
Figure 10
Figure 10
Stability measurement of the sensor based on MgFe2O4/g-C3N4-10-10 to 500 ppm acetone at 320 °C.
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