Impact of sodium on acetone sensing behaviour of ZnO prepared by microwave-assisted combustion method

Herein, we have reported the preparation, characterization, and acetone sensing properties of ZnO, 2%,5%, and 10% Na-doped ZnO samples synthesized using the microwave-assisted combustion method, aimed to enhance the sensitivity at low temperatures. The prepared samples were characterized using several characterization techniques to analyze their phase structure, crystallinity, and morphology. X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis confirmed that the synthesized ZnO samples possess a well-crystalline hexagonal wurtzite crystal structure. The detailed experiments revealed that at an optimized temperature, i.e., ~ 50 °C, 5% Na-ZnO sample exhibited a significant sensitivity towards acetone concentrations of 100, 200, 300, 400, and 500 ppm with response value of ~ 39, ~54, ~ 100, ~214, and ~ 300% and the response and recovery time of ~ 442 /~62 s, respectively. The results indicate that 5% Na-ZnO samples have a high sensing response towards acetone at low operating temperatures.