Assessment of the gas sensing properties of ZnO nanoparticles with different morphologies for the detection of O3

• Grant number: 22/07880-5
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: September 01, 2022
• End date: August 31, 2023
• Field of knowledge: Engineering - Materials and Metallurgical Engineering - Nonmetallic Materials
• Principal Investigator: Valmor Roberto Mastelaro
• Grantee: Natalia Candiani Simões Pessoa
• Host Institution: Instituto de Física de São Carlos (IFSC). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Carlos , SP, Brazil
• Associated research grant: 13/07296-2 - CDMF - Center for the Development of Functional Materials, AP.CEPID

Abstract

Over the last decade, the growing development of new gas sensing technologies opened new paths towards faster, more precise, and reliable monitoring systems in several areas, such as industrial safety management, smart farming, food quality assessment, diagnostics, environmental monitoring, and others. The concepts of the Internet of Things and Industry 4.0 have been pointed out as a new technological revolution that expands, even more, the demand for new gas sensing technologies. Hence, the new generations of gas sensors face the challenges of being simple, cost-effective, sensitive, selective, stable, and operating with low power consumption for portable electronics. Among all the semiconductors suitable as sensing materials, semiconductor metal oxides are especially promising due to their versatility and electronic properties. Despite the interest regarding these oxides as gas sensing materials, the effect that the nanostructured materials' morphology has on its gas sensing properties is still under investigation. Consequently, understanding the impacts of that different morphologies have on semiconductor metal oxides gas sensing properties. The present undergraduate research proposal aims to synthesize and to characterize different morphologies of zinc oxide (ZnO). Furthermore, the materials will be evaluated regarding their properties for ozone detection. The activities of the present undergraduate research proposal will be carried out in collaboration with a more senior master student of the Laboratory of Nanostructure materials and Advanced Ceramics. (AU)