NH₃ gas-sensing application of Ag-doped ZnO–CuO nanocomposite synthesized via chemical route

This work explores synthesizing and using a chemically produced silver-doped ZnO–CuO nanocomposite for NH₃ gas sensing. Adding Ag to the ZnO–CuO matrix aims to increase the nanocomposite’s surface area, catalytic activity, and electron mobility to improve gas-sensing capability. The structural and morphological characteristics of the resulting materials were analyzed using techniques such as diffraction methods, energy dispersive spectroscopy, nanoparticle size analysis, UV–Vis spectrophotometry, and electron microscopy. Ag doping dramatically increases the sensor’s sensitivity, selectivity, and response time for ammonia (NH₃) gas detection, according to gas-sensing studies. Ag’s synergistic effects and the heterojunction between ZnO and CuO, which facilitate electron transport and improve adsorption sites, are responsible for this improved sensing performance. When compared to sensors based exclusively on ZnO–CuO at 200 °C, the Ag-doped ZnO–CuO nanocomposite gas sensor demonstrated enhanced gas-sensing capability, with a response augmentation from 4.25 to 5.71%.