Synthesis and characterization of Zinc and Tin Oxide nanowires for the detection of Parmigiano Reggiano cheese

Abstract

Zinc and Tin Oxide nanowires were synthetized by vapor-phase growth on alumina substrates, in order to fabricate conductometric chemical sensing devices. Materials were morphologically characterized by FE-SEM, and structurally by mean of XRD and Raman spectroscopy, confirming the crystallinity of both materials. These devices were then mounted inside an electronic nose and their performances were evaluated in real measurements towards a specific matrix composed by Parmigiano Reggiano, a famous Italian cheese. The two materials behave very differently in presence of the target compound.