# Cu–Gallate MOF–Chitosan Hybrid Membrane for Low-Power, Non-Invasive Acetone Sensing: Toward Early-Stage Diabetes Detection

## TL;DR

A new hybrid membrane sensor detects acetone in breath at low power, offering a non-invasive way to detect diabetes early.

## Contribution

A Cu-gallate MOF/CS/IL hybrid membrane is developed for low-power, highly sensitive acetone sensing.

## Key findings

- The sensor detects acetone at 0.25 ppm with rapid 27 s response and 10 s recovery times at 80 °C.
- The hybrid membrane shows excellent selectivity, durability, and reproducibility for breath analysis.
- This platform offers a cost-effective and energy-efficient solution for early diabetes detection.

## Abstract

The precise and noninvasive detection of volatile organic
compounds
(VOCs) is of growing importance in medical diagnostics, health monitoring,
and environmental assessment. Among these VOCs, acetone in human breath
serves as a key biomarker for the early detection of diabetes. In
this work, we report the development of a high-performance composite
membrane sensor based on a copper gallate metal–organic framework
(Cu-gallate MOF) integrated with chitosan (CS) and doped with ionic
liquid glycerol (IL). The incorporation of chitosan significantly
improved membrane conductivity and structural stability, while hydrogen-bonding
interactions enhanced acetone selectivity. As a result, the Cu-gallate
MOF/CS/IL sensor achieved a remarkable detection limit of 0.25 ppm
at an operating temperature of 80 °C, with rapid response (27
s) and recovery (10 s) times. The sensor further demonstrated excellent
selectivity, long-term durability, and reproducible performance under
practical testing conditions. These findings highlight the potential
of MOF-based mixed-matrix membranes as a cost-effective and energy-efficient
platform for real-time breath analysis, providing a promising pathway
toward early diagnosis and monitoring of diabetes.