Nano Pt-decorated transparent solution-processed oxide semiconductor sensor with ppm detection capability

In this study, we fabricated a transparent Pt-decorated indium gallium zinc oxide (IGZO) thin film based on a solution process to demonstrate a portable, low-cost volatile organic compound (VOC) based real-time monitoring system with the detection capability at as low as 1 ppm. The Pt/IGZO sensor shows remarkable response characteristics upon exposure of isobutylene (2-methylpropene) gas down to 1 ppm while also maintaining the reliability and reproducibility of the sensing capability, which is almost comparable to a commercial VOC sensor based on a photoionization detector (PID) method. For 1 ppm of isobutylene gas, the response and recovery time of the sensor estimated were as low as 25 s (S(90)) and 80 s (R(90)), respectively. The catalytic activity of Pt nanoparticles on an IGZO nano-thin film plays a key role in drastically enhancing the sensitivity and dynamic response behaviour of the VOC sensor. Furthermore, the solution-processed IGZO thin film decorated with Pt nanoparticles also represents a highly transparent (in visible region, ∼90%) and low-cost fabrication platform, thereby, facilitating the optical visibility and disposability for future applications in the field of electronics. Therefore, we believe that the nano-Pt/IGZO hybrid material for VOC sensor developed by us will pave a way to detect any harmful chemical gases and VOCs in various environments.