Ni-DOPED CuO SENSORS WITH CONTROLLED SELECTIVITY AT HIGH OPERATING TEMPERATURES FOR HYDROGEN DETECTION

Abstract

Gas sensors are of major importance in today's industrial, chemical, agricultural, energy and household fields, and their development for general consumer use is an area of growing interest. This study explores the development and hydrogen sensing performance of CuO nanostructures synthesized via a cost-effective chemical solution method. The nanostructures, composed of copper oxide granules uniformly coated with nickel nanoparticles, were deposited on a glass substrate and thermally treated using rapid thermal annealing (RTA) to minimize defects. The resulting sensors exhibited high hydrogen sensitivity, with responses of 60-70% at elevated temperatures of 300 °C and 350 °C. The uniform deposition of Ni on CuO played a critical role in enhancing both sensitivity and selectivity towards hydrogen gas, while minimizing interference from other gases such as acetone, methane, and ammonia. The sensor demonstrated rapid response and recovery times, further confirming its potential for efficient hydrogen gas detection. These findings suggest that CuO nanostructures offer a promising, cost-effective solution for hydrogen gas sensing applications, particularly in safety-critical environments where hydrogen leaks need to be rapidly detected.