Enhanced Acetone Gas Sensing Performance of SnO2/Zn2SnO4 Heterojunctions Incorporated with MXene: Experimental and Theoretical Insights

Abstract

MXene, with distinctive electrical properties and structural characteristics, has emerged as the two-dimensional materials for enhancing the gas-sensing performance. In this study, SnO₂/Zn₂SnO₄/Ti₃C₂T_X MXene composites were synthesized through co-precipitation and electrostatic self-assembly methods. When compared to the SnO₂/Zn₂SnO₄ sensor, the SnO₂/Zn₂SnO₄/Ti₃C₂T_X MXene sensor demonstrates not only favorable selectivity and a higher responsiveness to 100 ppm acetone at 200 °C, but also possesses a rapid response-recovery time (1 s/22 s). Moreover, it is confirmed by the changes in the density of states and the adsorption energy of the composite upon gas adsorption are computed using density functional theory (DFT). These results indicate that SnO₂/Zn₂SnO₄/Ti₃C₂T_X MXene composites are promising sensing materials for acetone gas detection.