Harnessing Ag-decorated electrospun Ta-doped CeO2 nanofibers for superior acetone detection with unparalleled humidity resistance

作者：Xinge Wang, Wenjian Zhang, Haiqing Jiang, Xukun Wang, Zhen Miao, Wei Wei, Yuhao Zhang, Yuan Lin, Tianyu Wu, Guo Liu, Meixia Su, Ding Yan, Kun Tao, Jinyuan Zhou, Erqing Xie, Juan Li, Zhenxing Zhang · 发表于：Sensors and Actuators B Chemical · 年份：2025 · DOI：10.1016/j.snb.2025.137367 · 被引用次数：8 · 研究领域：Gas Sensing Nanomaterials and Sensors、Electrochemical sensors and biosensors、Advanced Chemical Sensor Technologies

The imperative to detect acetone (CH 3 COCH 3 ) in the absence of humidity interference is underscored by its expansive utility in environmental and healthcare contexts. To address this, a novel sensor comprising Ag-decorated Ta-doped CeO 2 (STC) hollow nanofibers has been engineered through a meticulous process of electrospinning, followed by the decoration of Ag nanoparticles via UV irradiation. The fabricated STC-2 sensor (1 mol% Ag @ Ta-doped CeO 2 ) presents a remarkable response of 36.6 to 100 ppm acetone at 170℃, 15.3-fold superior to that of its pristine CeO 2 counterpart, fast response time (19.53 s), exceptional selectivity, repeatability, and long-term stability. Impressively, the STC-2 sensor maintains a considerable response of 2.0 to acetone even at a minimal level of 0.5 ppm, with the theoretical lowest of detection limit of 9.9 ppb. In addition, the STC-2 sensor is resistant to moisture, attributed to the hydrophobic Ag (110) nanoparticles and the innovative "U-shaped" groove heterojunction which forms a potential barrier between CeO 2 and Ag as well as Ta 2 O 5 and Ag. Meanwhile, density functional theory calculations affirm the STC sensors' predilection for high O 2 and acetone adsorption energy while maintaining low affinity to H 2 O molecules. These findings herald the potential of "U-shaped" groove heterojunction in advancing humidity-resistant gas sensors.