# ZnO Hexagonal Nano- and Microplates Modified with Nanomaterials as a Gas-Sensitive Material for DMS Detection—Extended Studies

## TL;DR

This study improves a gas sensor for detecting dimethyl sulphide (DMS) by modifying zinc oxide with gold nanoparticles and a sepiolite filter, achieving better sensitivity and lower detection limits even in high humidity.

## Contribution

The paper introduces a ZnO-based sensor modified with gold nanoparticles and a sepiolite filter for enhanced DMS detection in high humidity.

## Key findings

- The sensor achieved a sensitivity of 11.4 for 1 ppm DMS.
- The detection limit was reduced to 406 ppb despite 90% humidity.
- Gold nanoparticles and sepiolite filters improved sensor performance.

## Abstract

The detection of dimethyl sulphide (DMS) at levels between ppb and ppm is a significant area of research due to the necessity of monitoring the presence of this gas in a variety of environments. These include environmental protection, industrial safety and medical diagnostics. Issues related to certain uncertainties concerning the influence of high humidity on DMS measurements with resistive gas sensors, e.g., in the detection of this marker in exhaled air, of the still unsatisfactory lower detection limit of DMS are the subject of intensive research. This paper presents the results of modifying the composition of the ZnO-based sensor layer to develop a DMS sensor with higher sensitivity and lower detection limit (LOD). Improved performance was achieved by using ZnO in the form of hexagonal nano- and microplates doped with gold nanoparticles (0.75 wt.%) and by using a well-proven sepiolite-based passive filter. The modification of the layer composition with respect to the authors’ previous studies contributed to the development of a sensor that is highly sensitive to 1 ppm DMS (S = 11.4) and achieves an LOD of up to 406 ppb, despite the presence of a high water vapour content (90% RH) in the analysed atmosphere.