# Zeolitic-Imidazole Framework (ZIF)-Derived ZnO Doped with Ag for Improved Ethanol Sensing Applications

## TL;DR

This paper explores how adding silver to ZnO derived from ZIFs improves its ability to detect ethanol, making it a better sensing material.

## Contribution

The study introduces a growth process for silver doping in ZIF-derived ZnO to enhance ethanol sensing performance.

## Key findings

- ZIF-derived ZnO doped with silver via a growth process showed a 5.8 times higher ethanol response than pure ZnO.
- The growth process outperformed impregnation in improving sensing performance.
- The sensing tests were conducted at 300 °C with 80 ppm ethanol in a humidity-controlled environment.

## Abstract

Materials derived from metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) as MOF-derived oxides retain a highly porous and active structure from the MOF precursor, exhibiting excellent sensing properties. In addition, the tunable nature of MOFs allows the structural and chemical properties of the resulting oxides to be specifically tuned to enhance their performance as sensing materials. In this work, zinc-based MOF structures belonging to the family of zeolitic imidazolate frameworks (ZIFs) were synthesized, characterized and then subjected to a high-temperature calcination process to obtain the corresponding oxides. To improve sensing performance, various silver doping strategies (1 wt.%) were explored, specifically through a growth process and an impregnation process. Among these approaches, the oxide obtained via the growth process demonstrates superior performance, exhibiting a response 5.8 times higher than pristine ZnO when exposed to 80 ppm of ethanol at 300 °C in a humidity-controlled chamber. These results highlight the potential of silver doping via growth process as an effective strategy to enhance the sensing performance of MOF-derived ZnO.