Unlocking the Potential of Copper Substituted Nickel Manganite Spinels for High-Performance Ammonia Gas Sensor.
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Abstract
Nanocrystalline powders of copper-substituted nickel manganite, Ni1-xCuxMn2O4 (0 ≤ x ≤ 1), were synthesized using the sol-gel auto-combustion technique. Thermal analysis through TG-DTA provided insights into phase formation temperatures. X-ray diffraction (XRD) revealed that the synthesized compounds exhibit a uniform cubic phase. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) hinted nanosized morphology and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) further confirmed that the particles are nanosized, with an average diameter of 50 nm. The energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS) results were in excellent agreement with the theoretical composition, affirming the successful synthesis of the target material. The gas responses of sintered materials were tested by exposing the films of sintered material to various gases like LPG, NH3, CO2 H2S, Cl2 and ethanol vapours. Evaluations demonstrated that the sensor with x = 0.25 exhibited remarkable selectivity and sensitivity toward ammonia (NH3) at a concentration of 3.33 ppm. This study underscores the exceptional potential of nanosized manganite materials for the sensitive detection of ammonia vapors, addressing a critical environmental and industrial challenge.