High-Selectivity Sensing of 2-Butanone by Ni-Doped ZnO Nanoparticles Derived From ZIF-8

Abstract

2-Butanone is a common colorless, flammable volatile organic compound (VOC) in chemical, electronics, new energy, and petroleum fields. However, its hazards to human health and its danger as a raw material for crystal methamphetamine production underscore the high necessity for developing detection technologies targeting it. In this study, Ni-doped ZnO was synthesized from a ZIF-8 derivative precursor for gas sensing applications.The phase composition, microstructure, and elemental chemical states of the samples were characterized by XRD, SEM, TEM, and XPS. Gas sensing tests showed that Ni doping reduced the optimal operating temperature from 320 °C for pure ZnO to 300 °C. The Ni-doped ZnO exhibited a significantly enhanced response (R_a/R_g = 287.5) to 100 ppm 2-butanone at 300 °C, along with excellent selectivity and repeatability. Furthermore, the sensor achieved effective detection of 2-butanone at concentrations as low as 0.1 ppm (R_a/R_g = 2.5). This study confirms that utilizing ZIF-8 as a precursor combined with Ni doping is an effective strategy for enhancing the detection performance of ZnO-based sensors for 2-butanone, providing a viable direction for developing high-sensitivity metal oxide (MOX) gas sensors.