Fabrication of highly efficient quartz crystal microbalance ammonia sensor based on Cu-BTC nanocomposites

Today, the measurement of ammonia gas as a corrosive and irritating gas in the environment is very crucial. Therefore, a simple and efficient method for its detection is very important. A quartz crystal microbalance (QCM) gas sensor modified with porous nanomaterials is proposed as a new device with...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Kobra Vazirinezhad, Fatemeh Shariatmadar Tehrani, Sedigheh Zeinali, Maryam Tohidi
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Elsevier 2025-06-01
Series:Journal of Science: Advanced Materials and Devices
Subjects:
Online Access:http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2468217925000036
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
_version_ 1832540368166453248
author Kobra Vazirinezhad
Fatemeh Shariatmadar Tehrani
Sedigheh Zeinali
Maryam Tohidi
author_facet Kobra Vazirinezhad
Fatemeh Shariatmadar Tehrani
Sedigheh Zeinali
Maryam Tohidi
author_sort Kobra Vazirinezhad
collection DOAJ
description Today, the measurement of ammonia gas as a corrosive and irritating gas in the environment is very crucial. Therefore, a simple and efficient method for its detection is very important. A quartz crystal microbalance (QCM) gas sensor modified with porous nanomaterials is proposed as a new device with high performance at ambient temperature. Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs), as a type of nanoporous material, have attracted great attention in the field of gas sensing due to their unique properties, such as high adsorption sites for gas molecules compared to other conventional sensing materials. In this work, nanocomposite films of Cu-BTC (MOF containing copper as a metal node and 1,3,5-benzene tricarboxylic acid as an organic linker) with different carbon nanotube (CNT) weight percentages are fabricated on a QCM for the detection of low amounts of ammonia at room temperature. The size and morphology, chemical, crystalline structure, and porosity properties of the synthesized Cu-BTC and Cu-BTC/CNT nanocomposites were examined by field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and BET techniques, respectively. All Cu-BTC/CNT nanocomposites showed a higher response and sensitivity to ammonia gas than both Cu-BTC and CNT individually. In this work, the best sensing behavior is observed in Cu-BTC/CNT10 nanocomposite, with a sensitivity of 8.18 Hz ppm−1, a limit of detection (LOD) of 1.97 ppm, and a limit of quantification (LOQ) of 6.57 ppm in exposure to ammonia vapors. This sensor exhibited good repeatability and reversibility, reasonable selectivity towards other volatile organic compounds (VOCs), and long-term stability during 7 weeks of testing.
format Article
id doaj-art-09316042a3924401adbeade9e3cba758
institution Kabale University
issn 2468-2179
language English
publishDate 2025-06-01
publisher Elsevier
record_format Article
series Journal of Science: Advanced Materials and Devices
spelling doaj-art-09316042a3924401adbeade9e3cba7582025-02-05T04:32:24ZengElsevierJournal of Science: Advanced Materials and Devices2468-21792025-06-01102100850Fabrication of highly efficient quartz crystal microbalance ammonia sensor based on Cu-BTC nanocompositesKobra Vazirinezhad0Fatemeh Shariatmadar Tehrani1Sedigheh Zeinali2Maryam Tohidi3Faculty of Physics, Semnan University, P.O. Box 35195-363, Semnan, IranFaculty of Physics, Semnan University, P.O. Box 35195-363, Semnan, Iran; Corresponding author.Department of Nanochemical Engineering, Faculty of Advanced Technologies, Shiraz University, Shiraz, Iran; Corresponding author.Department of Nanochemical Engineering, Faculty of Advanced Technologies, Shiraz University, Shiraz, IranToday, the measurement of ammonia gas as a corrosive and irritating gas in the environment is very crucial. Therefore, a simple and efficient method for its detection is very important. A quartz crystal microbalance (QCM) gas sensor modified with porous nanomaterials is proposed as a new device with high performance at ambient temperature. Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs), as a type of nanoporous material, have attracted great attention in the field of gas sensing due to their unique properties, such as high adsorption sites for gas molecules compared to other conventional sensing materials. In this work, nanocomposite films of Cu-BTC (MOF containing copper as a metal node and 1,3,5-benzene tricarboxylic acid as an organic linker) with different carbon nanotube (CNT) weight percentages are fabricated on a QCM for the detection of low amounts of ammonia at room temperature. The size and morphology, chemical, crystalline structure, and porosity properties of the synthesized Cu-BTC and Cu-BTC/CNT nanocomposites were examined by field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and BET techniques, respectively. All Cu-BTC/CNT nanocomposites showed a higher response and sensitivity to ammonia gas than both Cu-BTC and CNT individually. In this work, the best sensing behavior is observed in Cu-BTC/CNT10 nanocomposite, with a sensitivity of 8.18 Hz ppm−1, a limit of detection (LOD) of 1.97 ppm, and a limit of quantification (LOQ) of 6.57 ppm in exposure to ammonia vapors. This sensor exhibited good repeatability and reversibility, reasonable selectivity towards other volatile organic compounds (VOCs), and long-term stability during 7 weeks of testing.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2468217925000036Metal-organic frameworksQuartz crystal microbalance sensorsGas sensorsCu-BTCCarbon nanotubesAmmonia detection
spellingShingle Kobra Vazirinezhad
Fatemeh Shariatmadar Tehrani
Sedigheh Zeinali
Maryam Tohidi
Fabrication of highly efficient quartz crystal microbalance ammonia sensor based on Cu-BTC nanocomposites
Journal of Science: Advanced Materials and Devices
Metal-organic frameworks
Quartz crystal microbalance sensors
Gas sensors
Cu-BTC
Carbon nanotubes
Ammonia detection
title Fabrication of highly efficient quartz crystal microbalance ammonia sensor based on Cu-BTC nanocomposites
title_full Fabrication of highly efficient quartz crystal microbalance ammonia sensor based on Cu-BTC nanocomposites
title_fullStr Fabrication of highly efficient quartz crystal microbalance ammonia sensor based on Cu-BTC nanocomposites
title_full_unstemmed Fabrication of highly efficient quartz crystal microbalance ammonia sensor based on Cu-BTC nanocomposites
title_short Fabrication of highly efficient quartz crystal microbalance ammonia sensor based on Cu-BTC nanocomposites
title_sort fabrication of highly efficient quartz crystal microbalance ammonia sensor based on cu btc nanocomposites
topic Metal-organic frameworks
Quartz crystal microbalance sensors
Gas sensors
Cu-BTC
Carbon nanotubes
Ammonia detection
url http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2468217925000036
work_keys_str_mv AT kobravazirinezhad fabricationofhighlyefficientquartzcrystalmicrobalanceammoniasensorbasedoncubtcnanocomposites
AT fatemehshariatmadartehrani fabricationofhighlyefficientquartzcrystalmicrobalanceammoniasensorbasedoncubtcnanocomposites
AT sedighehzeinali fabricationofhighlyefficientquartzcrystalmicrobalanceammoniasensorbasedoncubtcnanocomposites
AT maryamtohidi fabricationofhighlyefficientquartzcrystalmicrobalanceammoniasensorbasedoncubtcnanocomposites