Work

Hetero-engineering-driven hydroxyl radical generation on ZnO-pillared MXene enables moisture-tolerant methane sensing at ppm level

Year: 2025

Type: article

Abstract: Ambient methane detection remains constrained by humidity interference and insufficient sensitivity at room temperature. Compared with standalone Ti3C2Tx MXene, hetero-structured ZnO-pillared Ti3C2Tx MXene was engineered via a simple self-assembly method at room temperature, achieving breakthrough room-temperature moisture-tolerant CH4 sensing at ppm level (<1 ppm detection limit, response of 21.3% to 100 ppm CH4 at 80% RH). Through in situ EPR and FT-IR, we demonstrate visible-light-driven hydroxyl radical (•OH) generation at ZnO/MXene interfaces in humid conditions. These radicals activate the catalytic conversion from CH4 to CO2 at reduced energy barriers, overcoming humidity poisoning by preferential H2O dissociation, enhancing the sensing performance together with the increased hole concentration and the improved activity of oxygen species. This study not only paves a new way for designing MXene-based gas sensors adaptable to diverse environmental conditions, but also establishes a hetero-engineering paradigm for radical-mediated gas detection.

Source: Carbon Future

DOI: 10.26599/cf.2025.9200056