Trimethylamine sensor based on zinc hydroxystannate cubes for long-term evaluation of the freshness of four types of seafood

Abstract

The detection of trimethylamine (TMA), a typical gas associated with seafood spoilage, is vital for the immediate evaluation of seafood quality. Nevertheless, conventional identification techniques have proved to be damaging to the sample, costly, and necessitate an extended period for sample preparation. In this study, zinc hydroxystannate (ZnSn(OH)₆) cubic structures that serve as a quartz crystal microbalance detector to detect TMA for an extended duration have been developed. The sensor based on the ZnSn(OH)₆ cubes shows a sensitive response of 23 Hz to 1 ppm TMA at ambient temperature. With a reaction time of 6 seconds, this sensor demonstrates high selectivity, sensitivity, and stability. Its enhanced detection performance is credited to the consistent placement of hydroxyl groups across the surface of the ZnSn(OH)₆ cubes. The TMA sensor created using the ZnSn(OH)₆ cubes is suitable for the prolonged identification of seafood spoilage processes, including ribbonfish, squid, prawn, and swimming crab. The study introduces an encouraging innovative approach for tracking the freshness of seafood.