Efficient acetone sensing utilizing Co₃O₄-Embedded porous ZnO nanofibers

We introduce a high surface area sensor composed of Co₃O₄ nanoparticles (NPs) embedded within porous ZnO nanofibers (NFs), exhibiting a notable response to acetone. Initially, we synthesized polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) NFs containing zinc and cobalt salts via a simple electrospinning method. Subsequently, the calcination of the PVP NFs resulted in the formation of Co₃O₄ NPs embedded within the porous ZnO NFs. The heterostructure material demonstrated a significant response to 100 ppm acetone detection, with a ratio of electrical resistance in air (R_a) to that in the presence of gas (R_g) reaching 111 at its optimal operating temperature of 275 °C. Furthermore, it exhibited stable performance under high relative humidity conditions.