Highly sensitive and selective ppb-level ozone sensor based on porous CuO nanoparticles

The increasing concerns on O-3 pollution urgently demands high performance O-3 sensors based on metal oxide semiconductors. Despite of noticeable progress, it's still challenging to achieve highly sensitive and selective detection of trace O-3 in ambient humid air with low power consumption. In this study, O-3 sensors based on porous CuO nanomaterials synthesized via a simple solution combustion method have been proposed. By optimizing the fuel to oxidizer ratio, a high response (2.6 @ 10 ppb and 42 @ 50 ppb O-3 under 70% RH), superior selectivity with the responses to diverse interfering gases in high concentration (10 ppm H2S, SO2, NO2, 50 ppm NH3, C2H6O, CH4O, C3H6O) less than 10 under 70% RH, outstanding repeatability and long-term stability at working temperature of 70 C were achieved by the present CuO based O-3 sensor. A smart O-3 monitoring system based on CuO sensor has been developed, which could facilely monitor the leakage of O-3 in ambient humid air, indicating great potential for practical application in environmental O-3 detection.