MOF-Derived Vertically Aligned Ce-Doped NiO Porous Nanowalls for Acetone Sensing

The rational design of gas-sensitive nanomaterials with tailored nanostructures is crucial for the development of next-generation chemosensors. Here, we pyrolyzed Ni/Ce-MOF based on 3,5-pyridinedicarboxylic acid to obtain Ce-NiO with vertically aligned nanowalls while retaining the high specific surface area and pore size distribution of MOF. On the one hand, the layered structure of the nanowalls can greatly shorten the transmission path of the gas-sensitive reaction so that the acetone gas molecules can rapidly contact the active sites on the surface of the material, thus realizing a rapid reaction (8 s/10 s); on the other hand, the rich nanoscale pore structure inside the material provides sufficient space for gas adsorption and diffusion and maintains a highly efficient mass transfer process even in the acetone concentration of up to 175 °C environment. During the process, the concentration of 10 ppm acetone shows the maximum response value of 4.2. This study presents an efficient real-time monitoring solution for precise acetone detection, with its technological advancements demonstrating strong potential to facilitate practical applications of portable gas sensing devices in environmental monitoring and industrial safety.