Room Temperature Mo₂CT_x MXene Sensor for Selective Detection of ppb-Level H₂S

Abstract

The sensitive and selective detection of ppb-level (ppb: parts per billion) H₂S using miniaturized and portable gas sensor is of great significance in environmental monitoring, medical diagnosis and many other fields. MXenes, with high electrical conductivity, large surface area, and abundant active sites, hold great promise for room temperature gas sensing applications. In this work, a room temperature H₂S sensor was constructed utilizing Mo₂CT_x MXene sensitive material, synthesized by a typical LiF/HCl etching method. The H₂S sensing characteristics of Mo₂CT_x sensor were further improved by controlling ultrasonic time and optimizing heat-treated temperature. The M-50 sensor utilizing optimized Mo₂CT_x sensing material exhibited good selectivity, the highest response value (−39.92%) to 1 ppm (ppm: parts per million) H₂S, and the lowest detection limit of 30 ppb (theoretically 0.35 ppb). The enhanced H₂S sensing properties are largely attributed to the fragmented nanosheet structure and surface defects caused by prolonging ultrasonic time and adjusting treatment temperature. Additionally, density functional theory (DFT) calculations demonstrated that surface Mo atom vacancy and edge of Mo₂CT_x could significantly improve the adsorption ability of H₂S. The present work contributes to advancing exploration of Mo₂CT_x material in sensing applications.

Keywords

Room temperature H₂S sensor / Mo₂CT_x MXene / Ultrasound / Vacuum heat treatment / Density functional theory (DFT) calculation / Engineering / Materials Engineering

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Jilin University, The Editorial Department of Chemical Research in Chinese Universities and Springer-Verlag GmbH