title: Impedimetric detection of alcohol vapours using nanostructured zinc ferrite.
abstract: A comparative study on the sensing characteristics of nanostructured zinc ferrite to three primary alcohols viz. methanol, ethanol and propanol has been carried out. The zinc ferrite has been prepared by a combustion method and characterized by XRD, FTIR, AFM and SEM. Impedance studies in the alcohol concentration range varying from 100 to 1000 ppm show definite variations in response to both the nature of the alcohol and its concentration. The nanostructured zinc ferrite shows the highest sensor response to methanol and least to propanol. Equivalent circuit modelling and calibration have been made for all the three alcohol sensors. The material shows a better selectivity to the alcohols compared to formaldehyde, ammonia and acetone vapours.
authors.affiliation: Department of Materials Science, School of Chemistry, Madurai Kamaraj University, Madurai 625021, India.
authors.forename: Padmanathan Karthick
authors.initials: PK
authors.lastname: Kannan
authors.affiliation: Department of Materials Science, School of Chemistry, Madurai Kamaraj University, Madurai 625021, India. Electronic address: drrsaraswathi@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Ramiah
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Saraswathi
mesh_terms: D000433:1-Propanol / Q000032:analysis; D000096:Acetone / Q000032:analysis; D000438:Alcohols / Q000032:analysis*; D000641:Ammonia / Q000032:analysis; D002138:Calibration; D004563:Electrochemistry / Q000379:methods; D000431:Ethanol / Q000032:analysis; D005290:Ferric Compounds / Q000737:chemistry*; D005557:Formaldehyde / Q000032:analysis; D005740:Gases / Q000032:analysis; D000432:Methanol / Q000032:analysis; D018625:Microscopy, Atomic Force; D008855:Microscopy, Electron, Scanning; D017550:Spectroscopy, Fourier Transform Infrared; D014835:Volatilization; D014961:X-Ray Diffraction; D015032:Zinc / Q000737:chemistry*
chemical_list: D000438:Alcohols; D005290:Ferric Compounds; D005740:Gases; C001215:ferrite; D000096:Acetone; D005557:Formaldehyde; D000431:Ethanol; D000641:Ammonia; D000433:1-Propanol; D015032:Zinc; D000432:Methanol
keywords: Alcohol sensor; Combustion method; Equivalent circuit modelling; Impedimetric sensor; Zinc ferrite