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Evaluation of MgCo2O4 Nanoparticles as a Gas Sensor for the Detection of Acetone in the Diabetic and Non-Diabetic Range

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Abstract

The acetone contained in human breath is of great interest for the health sector as it is a marker that allows to diagnose and control diabetes in a non-invasive way. However, its concentration is extremely low. Therefore, high-performance acetone sensors are still a challenge. With this in mind, MgCo2O4 nanoparticles were synthesized using a microwave-assisted colloidal route with subsequent calcination. Structural and morphological characterizations were done through various techniques. The MgCo2O4 sensor was fabricated with the sample calcined at 500 °C. The sensing results showed that the sensor could detect acetone vapors ranging from 0.5 to 50 ppm at an optimum operating temperature of 250 °C with a high response, repeatability, stability, and selectivity. These sensing characteristics revealed that MgCo2O4 could be used as a new sensor material to detect acetone in exhaled human breath.

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Acknowledgements

The authors thank LINAN-IPICYT for XRD and TEM analysis, and Environment and Renewable Energy Laboratory-CUValles for Raman and sensing measurements. Thanks are owed to Armando Rentería for his technical assistance in SEM analysis. E.S. Guillén-López thanks the National Council of Science and Technology of Mexico (CONACYT) for his doctorate scholarship. A. Carreon-Alvarez acknowledges the CONACYT through project 279937 of the Scientific and Technological Infrastructure and project CGIPV/421/2022 of the Program for Strengthening Research and Postgraduate of the Universidad de Guadalajara. J.P. Morán-Lázaro thanks support from PROSNI of the Universidad de Guadalajara.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Centro Universitario de los Valles (CUValles), Universidad de Guadalajara, 46600, Ameca, Jalisco, Mexico

    J. P. Morán-Lázaro, M. Courel-Piedrahita, A. Carreon-Alvarez, E. S. Guillén-López & A. Palafox-Corona

  2. Instituto Potosino de Investigación Científica y Tecnológica (IPICYT), 78216, San Luis Potosí, S.L.P, Mexico

    F. López-Urías & E. Muñoz-Sandoval

  3. Centro Universitario de Ciencias Exactas e Ingenierías (CUCEI), Universidad de Guadalajara, 44410, Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico

    V. M. Rodríguez-Betancourtt

  4. Universidad Juárez Autónoma de Tabasco (UJAT), 86040, Villahermosa, Tabasco, Mexico

    I. Zamudio-Torres

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  1. J. P. Morán-Lázaro
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  2. F. López-Urías
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  3. E. Muñoz-Sandoval
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Morán-Lázaro, J.P., López-Urías, F., Muñoz-Sandoval, E. et al. Evaluation of MgCo2O4 Nanoparticles as a Gas Sensor for the Detection of Acetone in the Diabetic and Non-Diabetic Range. Electron. Mater. Lett. 19, 66–75 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13391-022-00371-7

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