Manganese doped two-dimensional zinc ferrite thin films as chemiresistive trimethylamine gas sensors

Abstract

Trimethylamine (TMA) is highly toxic and can have lethal effects on living organisms. Detecting the presence of TMA in air is very important because, if the TMA level exceeds the OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Administration) limit, it may harm the environment and endanger human life. Doping is an appropriate flexible way to change the electrical structures of metal oxide semiconductors (MOSs) and improve their ability to detect toxic gases. In this work, Mn-doped zinc ferrite thin film nanorods with agglomerated morphology were fabricated by a spray pyrolysis technique. For the first time, a comprehensive investigation was done on the gas sensing capabilities of Mn-doped ZnFe₂O₄ thin films. The findings showed that ZFM1 had the best gas sensing characteristics, with high sensitivity (S = 6.24), good selectivity, and quick recovery, towards 10 ppm TMA at ambient temperature. The alternate Mn–ZF sites are responsible for the rapid recovery because they can significantly increase the concentration of oxygen vacancies in the ZF crystal. 0.1 Mn doped ZnFe₂O₄ (ZFM1) thin film exhibits greatly enhanced gas sensing properties towards TMA, because of its high surface-to-volume ratio and rough surface with a small nanorod structure. The sensor's response to 10 ppm TMA was measured 13 weeks later for stability testing. The stability test results show that the coated ZFM1 film works well as a TMA gas sensor. This work shows that ZF thin films are effective in detecting TMA in the atmosphere.