ZnO Nanocrystal-Based Chloroform Detection: Density Functional Theory (DFT) Study

We investigated the detection of chloroform (CHCl3) using ZnO nanoclusters via density functional theory calculations. The effects of various concentrations of CHCl3, as well as the deposition of O atoms, on the adsorption over ZnO nanoclusters were analyzed via geometric optimizations. The calculated difference between the highest occupied molecular orbital and the lowest unoccupied molecular orbital for ZnO was 4.02 eV. The most stable adsorption characteristics were investigated with respect to the adsorption energy, frontier orbitals, elemental positions, and charge transfer. The results revealed that ZnO nanoclusters with a specific geometry and composition are promising candidates for chloroform-sensing applications.