Mixed potential type acetone sensor using stabilized zirconia and M3V2O8 (M: Zn, Co and Ni) sensing electrode

Abstract A series of mixed potential type gas sensors using stabilized zirconia and M 3 V 2 O 8 (M: Zn, Co and Ni) sensing electrode were fabricated and applied for detecting acetone at 600 °C. Among the sensors utilizing these composite oxides (Zn 3 V 2 O 8 , Co 3 V 2 O 8 and Ni 3 V 2 O 8 )–SEs prepared via a facile sol–gel method, the sensor attached with Zn 3 V 2 O 8 –SE exhibited the highest response to acetone at 600 °C. Therefore, the present study mainly focused on acetone sensing performance for YSZ-based sensor using Zn 3 V 2 O 8 –SE at 600 °C. Results showed that the sensor attached with Zn 3 V 2 O 8 –SE could detect even 1 ppm acetone with an acceptable response. Moreover, Δ V of the sensor attached with Zn 3 V 2 O 8 –SE exhibited segmentally linear relationship to the logarithm of acetone concentration in the ranges of 1–10 ppm and 10–400 ppm, which the sensitivities were −16 and −56 mV/decade, respectively. The present device also displayed good repeatability, small drifts in 30 days measured period, and the excellent sensitivity and relatively good selectivity in the presence of various interfering gases before and after 30 days high-temperature-aging of 600 °C. Additionally, polarization curve was measured to further demonstrate the mixed potential mechanism.