Room-temperature ethylene glycol sensor based on cuprous oxide/MXene films

Abstract This study demonstrates a high-performance room-temperature ethylene glycol (EG) gas sensor using Cu2O/MXene bilayer films on quartz crystal microbalance (QCM) substrates, addressing critical needs for industrial safety and environmental monitoring. The fabricated sensors were systematicall...

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Main Authors: Sepehr Samiei, Asadollah Kalantarian, Azam Iraji zad, Narges Darmiani
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Nature Portfolio 2025-08-01
Series:Scientific Reports
Subjects:
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-12019-1
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author Sepehr Samiei
Asadollah Kalantarian
Azam Iraji zad
Narges Darmiani
author_facet Sepehr Samiei
Asadollah Kalantarian
Azam Iraji zad
Narges Darmiani
author_sort Sepehr Samiei
collection DOAJ
description Abstract This study demonstrates a high-performance room-temperature ethylene glycol (EG) gas sensor using Cu2O/MXene bilayer films on quartz crystal microbalance (QCM) substrates, addressing critical needs for industrial safety and environmental monitoring. The fabricated sensors were systematically characterized by XRD, FTIR, and FESEM, revealing that the Cu2O/MXene bilayer configuration achieved exceptional performance with an ultra-low detection limit of 381 ppb, high sensitivity of 22.8 Hz/ppm, and excellent selectivity compared to individual Cu2O, MXene, or their mixture films. The enhanced sensing capability originates from synergistic effects between p-type Cu2O and conductive MXene, forming a Schottky junction that facilitates charge transfer and promotes EG adsorption through combined physisorption mechanisms involving hydrogen bonding with MXene’s functional groups (OH, O, F) and interactions with oxygen species on Cu2O nanoparticles. At 72 ppm EG concentration, the bilayer sensor exhibited 12.6-fold, 3.6-fold, and 2.34-fold higher response than pure Cu2O, MXene alone, and their mixture film, respectively. While humidity tests showed a moderate ~ 15% response reduction at 60% RH, the Cu2O/MXene bilayer maintained robust performance, establishing it as a cost-effective and reliable room-temperature sensing platform suitable for next-generation gas detection applications in challenging environments.
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institution Kabale University
issn 2045-2322
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spelling doaj-art-2fc7eea26b4246f8aaaad7f91aab63212025-08-20T03:45:59ZengNature PortfolioScientific Reports2045-23222025-08-0115111410.1038/s41598-025-12019-1Room-temperature ethylene glycol sensor based on cuprous oxide/MXene filmsSepehr Samiei0Asadollah Kalantarian1Azam Iraji zad2Narges Darmiani3Center for Nanoscience and Nanotechnology, Institute for Convergence Science and Technology, Sharif University of TechnologyCenter for Nanoscience and Nanotechnology, Institute for Convergence Science and Technology, Sharif University of TechnologyCenter for Nanoscience and Nanotechnology, Institute for Convergence Science and Technology, Sharif University of TechnologyDepartment of Physics, Sharif University of TechnologyAbstract This study demonstrates a high-performance room-temperature ethylene glycol (EG) gas sensor using Cu2O/MXene bilayer films on quartz crystal microbalance (QCM) substrates, addressing critical needs for industrial safety and environmental monitoring. The fabricated sensors were systematically characterized by XRD, FTIR, and FESEM, revealing that the Cu2O/MXene bilayer configuration achieved exceptional performance with an ultra-low detection limit of 381 ppb, high sensitivity of 22.8 Hz/ppm, and excellent selectivity compared to individual Cu2O, MXene, or their mixture films. The enhanced sensing capability originates from synergistic effects between p-type Cu2O and conductive MXene, forming a Schottky junction that facilitates charge transfer and promotes EG adsorption through combined physisorption mechanisms involving hydrogen bonding with MXene’s functional groups (OH, O, F) and interactions with oxygen species on Cu2O nanoparticles. At 72 ppm EG concentration, the bilayer sensor exhibited 12.6-fold, 3.6-fold, and 2.34-fold higher response than pure Cu2O, MXene alone, and their mixture film, respectively. While humidity tests showed a moderate ~ 15% response reduction at 60% RH, the Cu2O/MXene bilayer maintained robust performance, establishing it as a cost-effective and reliable room-temperature sensing platform suitable for next-generation gas detection applications in challenging environments.https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-12019-1MXeneCu2O/MXene bilayerQuartz crystal microbalance (QCM)Gas sensorsEthylene glycol (EG)
spellingShingle Sepehr Samiei
Asadollah Kalantarian
Azam Iraji zad
Narges Darmiani
Room-temperature ethylene glycol sensor based on cuprous oxide/MXene films
Scientific Reports
MXene
Cu2O/MXene bilayer
Quartz crystal microbalance (QCM)
Gas sensors
Ethylene glycol (EG)
title Room-temperature ethylene glycol sensor based on cuprous oxide/MXene films
title_full Room-temperature ethylene glycol sensor based on cuprous oxide/MXene films
title_fullStr Room-temperature ethylene glycol sensor based on cuprous oxide/MXene films
title_full_unstemmed Room-temperature ethylene glycol sensor based on cuprous oxide/MXene films
title_short Room-temperature ethylene glycol sensor based on cuprous oxide/MXene films
title_sort room temperature ethylene glycol sensor based on cuprous oxide mxene films
topic MXene
Cu2O/MXene bilayer
Quartz crystal microbalance (QCM)
Gas sensors
Ethylene glycol (EG)
url https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-12019-1
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AT asadollahkalantarian roomtemperatureethyleneglycolsensorbasedoncuprousoxidemxenefilms
AT azamirajizad roomtemperatureethyleneglycolsensorbasedoncuprousoxidemxenefilms
AT nargesdarmiani roomtemperatureethyleneglycolsensorbasedoncuprousoxidemxenefilms