Ethanol Sensing with Cu-BTC Metal Organic Framework: Mass Sensitive, Work Function Based and IR Investigations

Cu-BTC, also known as H-KUST 1, belongs to Metal Organic Frameworks (MOFs). Nanoporosity, relatively good thermal stability and unsaturated metal sites are some of its properties that make this MOF promising for application as a gas sensing material. In this work we chose different experimental approaches to examine trace gas sensing (5 to 50 ppm) of ethanol with Cu-BTC. Measurements with mass sensitive, as well as work function based readout, were successfully performed in dry synthetic air at room temperature. Strong, fast and concentration dependent response to ethanol was observed. In-situ measurements with diffuse reflectance infrared Fourier transform spectroscopy (DRIFTS) were additionally applied to visualize the adsorption of ethanol molecules on the Cu-BTC sensing layer.