MnOx/ZnO-based sensors fabricated by the flame spray pyrolysis for microbial volatile organic compounds detection

• Grant number: 24/12700-1
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships abroad - Research Internship - Doctorate
• Start date: January 15, 2025
• End date: January 14, 2026
• Field of knowledge: Engineering - Materials and Metallurgical Engineering - Nonmetallic Materials
• Principal Investigator: Diogo Paschoalini Volanti
• Grantee: Reinaldo dos Santos Theodoro
• Supervisor: Andreas Guntner
• Host Institution: Instituto de Biociências, Letras e Ciências Exatas (IBILCE). Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP). Campus de São José do Rio Preto. São José do Rio Preto , SP, Brazil
• Institution abroad: Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich, Switzerland
• Associated to the scholarship: 22/05381-1 - ZnO/NiO-type heterostructures derived from metal-organic frameworks for the detection of microbial volatile organic compounds, BP.DR

Abstract

The motivation for this research proposal is the detection of volatile organic compounds produced by pathogenic microorganisms, known as MVOCs, responsible for many human diseases and food contamination. Despite their significance, few studies in the literature evaluate MVOC detection with both fast response times and low detection limits. This proposal aims to assess MnOx and ZnO, p-type and n-type semiconductor metal oxides, respectively, as sensor materials. Furthermore, this work will investigate the combination of MnOx and ZnO to produce MnOx/ZnO heterostructures, aiming to improve sensing performance regarding selectivity, sensitivity, stability, response and recovery times, and detection limits. The sensor materials - MnOx, ZnO, and MnOx/ZnO heterostructures - will be synthesized using Flame Spray Pyrolysis (FSP) and evaluated for their ability to detect MVOCs at various concentrations (ppb or ppm) and relative humidities (0-90% RH). In addition, the best-performing sensor material will be applied in specific scenarios like breath analysis, food safety, or indoor air quality examining. This proposal introduces a promising and original approach, as no existing studies utilize MnOx/ZnO heterostructures as sensor materials for MVOC detection and evaluate their properties under real-world conditions.