Excellent-performing gas sensor based on Yttrium-doped ZnFe2O4 nanofibers for detection of n-Butanol

In the field of environmental monitoring, metal oxide semiconductor (MOS)-based gas sensors demonstrate significant advantages in detecting volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in ambient air. Gas sensors based on Yttrium-doped Zinc Ferrite nanofibers (Y-doped ZFO NFs) are fabricated via a conventional electrospinning method, with varying molar ratios of Y/Zn (0 at%, 2 at%, 4 at%, and 6 at%). Here, the doping of rare earth element Y significantly enhances the gas sensing performances. The structural and morphological information of both pristine ZFO and Y-doped ZFO NFs have been characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), Scanning electron microscope (SEM), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and Transmission electron microscope (TEM). Compared with pure ZFO, the 4 at% Y-doped ZFO (S3) exhibits a 4.46-fold higher response (R_a/R_g = 43.1) to 100 ppm n-butanol at 150℃ with a fast response time of 11 s. Additionally, the Y-doped ZFO NFs gas sensors exhibit outstanding selectivity, remarkable long-term stability, and a low limit of detection (LOD) attributed to their small grain size, porous and rough morphology, abundant oxygen vacancies, and the formation of n-n heterojunctions.