Zinc Glycerate as a Precursor for the Synthesis of Nanocrystalline ZnO with Improved NO2 Gas Sensitivity

This study presents a simple and efficient method for synthesizing nanocrystalline zinc oxide using glycerate precursors. Zinc glycerates were obtained through thermal treatment of a solution of zinc acetylacetonate monohydrate in glycerol, followed by additional thermal processing, which resulted in the formation of nanocrystalline ZnO. The synthesized ZnO nanoparticles were characterized using XRD, SEM, and DTA/DSC techniques. The gas-sensing properties of ZnO toward a wide range of analyte gases were investigated. It was demonstrated that nanocrystalline ZnO exhibits high sensitivity and selectivity to NO2. The proposed approach opens new prospects for the development of cost-effective and efficient gas sensors based on semiconductor oxides.