A Self-Powered Electrochemical Sensor Based on a Zinc-Air Battery for Oxygen Detection

Oxygen sensors have been widely applied in our daily lives and industries. Traditional oxygen sensor needs to be operated at high temperatures and often use lead (Pb) as the electrode, which is toxic to human health. In this work, an oxygen sensor based on a zinc-air battery that can be operated at...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Tianyi Liu, Xinlin Lu, Rishi J. Patel, Rebecca Eldredge, Daniel J. Padilla, Vijaya Kayastha, Jiadeng Zhu
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: IOP Publishing 2025-01-01
Series:ECS Sensors Plus
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Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1149/2754-2726/addaaa
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Summary:Oxygen sensors have been widely applied in our daily lives and industries. Traditional oxygen sensor needs to be operated at high temperatures and often use lead (Pb) as the electrode, which is toxic to human health. In this work, an oxygen sensor based on a zinc-air battery that can be operated at room temperature has been successfully developed. This design consists of platinum/carbon (Pt/C)-based material as a cathode and zinc metal as an anode, containing no Pb. The oxygen concentration can be observed in terms of the open circuit voltage of the sensor. Furthermore, the impacts of different substrates and various cathodes on the sensing performance have been investigated. The sensor’s aging behavior, and its performance under different temperatures and gas flow rates have also been thoroughly studied. The corresponding characterization has been carried out to support the discussion. Overall, this work demonstrates a low-cost, environmentally friendly, and reliable sensor via optimizing the related components. We hope it can provide a safer and more sustainable alternative to traditional oxygen sensors in various applications and inspire further advancements in sensor technology.
ISSN:2754-2726