A highly sensitive ethanol sensor based on Ag@TiO2 nanoparticles at room temperature

In this study, the ethanol-sensing characteristics of Ag@TiO2 nanoparticles were investigated. The morphology, structure, and formation mechanism of the Ag@TiO2 core-shell nanoparticles were carefully studied using X-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy, ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy, ZetaSizer Nano ZS and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy. A gas sensing study showed that Ag@TiO2 is a promising sensor for detecting ethanol gas at low concentrations (below 5 ppm) at room working temperature. Ag@TiO2 exhibited a sensor response of 1.04-4.35 at the ethanol concentration from 0.15 ppm to 5 ppm. In addition, the sensor presented an excellent selectivity and stability for ethanol gas. This systematic study of the promising ethanol-sensing characteristics of Ag@TiO2 nanoparticles can facilitate the development of sensors that detect ethanol gas.