Room-temperature chemiresistive g-C3N4/Ag2ZrO3 nanocomposite gas sensor for ethanol detection

Designing the efficient ethanol gas sensors with high sensitivity, selectivity, and stability is of great interest in diverse applications. Herein, g-C₃N₄, Ag₂ZrO₃, and g-C₃N₄/Ag₂ZrO₃-based nanomaterials have been synthesized, characterized, and subjected for gas sensor studies against 50 ppm concentration of six different gases namely n-butanol, isopropanol, methanol, xylene, toluene, and ethanol at room temperature. All nanomaterials g-C₃N₄, Ag₂ZrO₃, and g-C₃N₄/Ag₂ZrO₃ have shown higher response values of 15.1, 24.5, and 53.1%, respectively, against ethanol gas compared to other gases. The observation of highest response value of g-C₃N₄/Ag₂ZrO₃ may be due to involvement of cooperative effect of g-C₃N₄ and Ag₂ZrO₃ in the nanocomposite. Further, the elaborated gas sensor studies of g-C₃N₄/Ag₂ZrO₃ showed that the present nanocomposite material has excellent repeatability, quick response/recovery, and good stability for the detection of ethanol gas. By careful modification of this kind of semiconductor, metal oxide-based nanocomposites will afford room-temperature-operatable high-performance ethanol gas sensors in near future.