Effectof Cation Substitution on the Gas-Sensing Performances of TernarySpinel MCo 2 O 4 (M = Mn, Ni, and Zn) MultishelledHollow Twin Spheres

Advanced sensing materials are in high demand for sensitive, real-time and continuous detection of gas molecules for gas sensors, which have been becoming an effective tool for environmental monitoring and disease diagnosis. Cobalt-containing spinel oxides are promising sensing materials for the gas sensing reaction owing to their element abundance and remarkable activity. Structural and component properties can be modulated to optimize the sensing performances by substituting Co with other transition metals. Herein, a systematic study of spinel MCo2O4 oxides (M = Mn, Ni and Zn) toward gas sensing is presented. Results show that ZnCo2O4 materials with multi-shelled hollow twin-sphere structure obtained excellent sensing performances to formaldehyde and acetone at different temperatures. The replacement of Co by Zn in the lattice improve oxygen-chemisorbing ability, which allow new opportunities to synthesize and design highly sensitive chemical sensors.