Yu-Hsiang Cheng , Chien-Chih Chen , Li-Yin Chen , Yi-Jyun Ma , Hsuang-Kai Hsiao , Ying-Chang Lu , Jung-Kang Tu , Hsiao-Wen Zan , Hsin-Fei Meng , Hao-Wu Lin , Yung-Hsu Tai , Mei-Hsin Chen
{"title":"Improved performance of highly sensitive room-temperature ammonia gas sensor with P-type doping carbazole-triazine derivative","authors":"Yu-Hsiang Cheng , Chien-Chih Chen , Li-Yin Chen , Yi-Jyun Ma , Hsuang-Kai Hsiao , Ying-Chang Lu , Jung-Kang Tu , Hsiao-Wen Zan , Hsin-Fei Meng , Hao-Wu Lin , Yung-Hsu Tai , Mei-Hsin Chen","doi":"10.1016/j.jtice.2025.106197","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><div>The detection and monitoring of ammonia (NH₃) gas are critical for various applications, including environmental monitoring, industrial safety, and medical diagnostics. NH₃ is a significant biomarker for chronic kidney disease and the effectiveness of hemodialysis, requiring sensors capable of detecting ppb-level concentrations. While advanced analytical techniques meet the sensitivity requirements, their high cost and complex instrumentation limit practical applications. Developing cost-effective, highly sensitive, and user-friendly ammonia sensors remains a priority.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>This study presents a room-temperature NH₃ gas sensor based on 2,4-diphenyl-6-bis(12-phenylindolo)[2,3-a]carbazole-11-yl)-1,3,5-triazine (DIC-TRZ), a material known for its high carrier mobility and stable electrical properties. The sensor was integrated into a vertical nano-junction device structure, and its performance was enhanced using a p-type doping strategy with 1 wt % F4-TCNQ. The operational current, sensitivity, limit of detection (LOD), stability, and selectivity were systematically evaluated.</div></div><div><h3>Key Findings</h3><div>The DIC-TRZ-based sensor demonstrated excellent ammonia detection performance, with a sensitivity of 0.0467 %/ppb and an LOD of 20.7 ppb for the non-doped device, and a sensitivity of 0.0391 %/ppb and an LOD of 16.0 ppb for the doped device. The sensor exhibited rapid response and recovery times and a stable operational current. The doping strategy increased the current by nearly two orders of magnitude, reaching ∼10⁻⁵ A, significantly improving the signal-to-noise ratio. This enhancement enabled real-time current measurement using a low-cost multimeter, broadening the applicability for environmental monitoring, medical diagnostics, and portable applications.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":381,"journal":{"name":"Journal of the Taiwan Institute of Chemical Engineers","volume":"174 ","pages":"Article 106197"},"PeriodicalIF":5.5000,"publicationDate":"2025-05-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"Journal of the Taiwan Institute of Chemical Engineers","FirstCategoryId":"5","ListUrlMain":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1876107025002500","RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"Q1","JCRName":"ENGINEERING, CHEMICAL","Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 0
Abstract
Background
The detection and monitoring of ammonia (NH₃) gas are critical for various applications, including environmental monitoring, industrial safety, and medical diagnostics. NH₃ is a significant biomarker for chronic kidney disease and the effectiveness of hemodialysis, requiring sensors capable of detecting ppb-level concentrations. While advanced analytical techniques meet the sensitivity requirements, their high cost and complex instrumentation limit practical applications. Developing cost-effective, highly sensitive, and user-friendly ammonia sensors remains a priority.
Methods
This study presents a room-temperature NH₃ gas sensor based on 2,4-diphenyl-6-bis(12-phenylindolo)[2,3-a]carbazole-11-yl)-1,3,5-triazine (DIC-TRZ), a material known for its high carrier mobility and stable electrical properties. The sensor was integrated into a vertical nano-junction device structure, and its performance was enhanced using a p-type doping strategy with 1 wt % F4-TCNQ. The operational current, sensitivity, limit of detection (LOD), stability, and selectivity were systematically evaluated.
Key Findings
The DIC-TRZ-based sensor demonstrated excellent ammonia detection performance, with a sensitivity of 0.0467 %/ppb and an LOD of 20.7 ppb for the non-doped device, and a sensitivity of 0.0391 %/ppb and an LOD of 16.0 ppb for the doped device. The sensor exhibited rapid response and recovery times and a stable operational current. The doping strategy increased the current by nearly two orders of magnitude, reaching ∼10⁻⁵ A, significantly improving the signal-to-noise ratio. This enhancement enabled real-time current measurement using a low-cost multimeter, broadening the applicability for environmental monitoring, medical diagnostics, and portable applications.
期刊介绍:
Journal of the Taiwan Institute of Chemical Engineers (formerly known as Journal of the Chinese Institute of Chemical Engineers) publishes original works, from fundamental principles to practical applications, in the broad field of chemical engineering with special focus on three aspects: Chemical and Biomolecular Science and Technology, Energy and Environmental Science and Technology, and Materials Science and Technology. Authors should choose for their manuscript an appropriate aspect section and a few related classifications when submitting to the journal online.