Detection of propene by using new-type impedancemetric zirconia-based sensor attached with oxide sensing-electrode

We report here that an impedancemetric sensor based on yttria-stabilized zirconia (YSZ) can detect propene (C3H6) sensitively and selectively under wet condition, if the sensing-electrode (SE) material and the operating condition are selected properly. Among the various single-oxide SEs examined, ZnO was found to give rather high sensitivity to C3H6 as well as negligible sensitivity to CH4 at 600 °C in the presence of 1 vol.% H2O. In addition, when 1.5 wt.% Pt was loaded on ZnO-SE and the SE was polarized at +50 mV versus Pt counter-electrode (CE), the present sensor was found to detect C3H6 rather sensitively with little interference of other gases, such as CO, NO, NO2, H2, CH4, CO2, H2O and O2, at 600 °C.