Highly selective ppb-level H2S sensor for spendable detection of exhaled biomarker and pork freshness at low temperature: Mesoporous SnO2 hierarchical architectures derived from waste scallion root

• Published in: Sensors and actuators. B, Chemical Vol. 307; p. 127662
• Main Authors: Song, Bao-Yu, Zhang, Meng, Teng, Yang, Zhang, Xian-Fa, Deng, Zhao-Peng, Huo, Li-Hua, Gao, Shan
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Lausanne Elsevier B.V 15.03.2020; Elsevier Science Ltd
• Subjects: Biomarkers; Crosslinking; Exhaled biomarker; Freshness; Gas sensor; Hydrogen sulfide; Low temperature; Meat; Mesoporous structure; Nanoparticles; Nanospheres; Pork; Scallion root; Selectivity; SnO2; Structural hierarchy; Tin dioxide; SnO2; Gas sensor; Mesoporous structure; Exhaled biomarker; Scallion root
• ISSN: 0925-4005; 1873-3077
• DOI: 10.1016/j.snb.2020.127662

[Display omitted] •Mesoporous SnO2 hierarchical architectures were simply fabricated by using waste scallion root.•The sensor realizes the accurate detection of ppb-level H2S gas under highly humid atmosphere.•The sensor represents the lowest detection limit of 0.5 ppb among all reported SnO2-based sensors.•The sensor has potential applications in pork freshness monitoring and halitosis diagnosing. Herein, we firstly reported a waste scallion root biotemplate strategy to massively fabricate mesoporous SnO2 hierarchical architectures, which can realize precise detection of ppb-level H2S gas in highly humid atmosphere (RH = 85%). The hierarchical skeleton is made up of the crosslinked nanoparticles of about 13 nm with a layer of nanospheres uniformly loaded on the surface of small-sized particles. Such specially structural characteristic can ensure that SnO2 sensing materials possess large specific surface area and good mesoporous connectivity, enhancing the response and selectivity towards trace H2S in a wide range of 0.5–1000 ppb at low working temperature of 92 °C. Especially, detection limit of 0.5 ppb is the lowest among all reported SnO2-based H2S sensors. Meanwhile, we also monitored the change of trace H2S gas concentration in exhaled breath of healthy human, the decay process of fresh pork in 72 h and the simulated environment of halitosis under high humidity, and the sensor exhibited satisfactory results. Therefore, the mesoporous SnO2 hierarchical structure could be used as a spendable sensing material of detecting ppb-level H2S for the applications in meat freshness monitoring and halitosis diagnosis.