Engineering an Ultrafast Ambient NO₂ Gas Sensor Using Cotton-Modified LaFeO₃/MXene Composites

This work presents a room-temperature (RT) NO₂ gas sensor based on cotton-modified LaFeO₃ (CLFO) combined with MXene. LaFeO₃ (LFO), CLFO, and CLFO/MXene composites were synthesized via a hydrothermal method. The fabricated sensor, utilizing MXene/CLFO, exhibits a p-type behavior and fully recoverable sensing capabilities for low concentrations of NO₂, achieving a higher response of 14.2 times at 5 ppm. The sensor demonstrates excellent performance with a response time of 2.7 s and a recovery time of 6.2 s, along with notable stability. The sensor’s sensitivity is attributed to gas interactions on the material’s surface, adsorption energy, and charge-transfer mechanisms. Techniques such as in situ FTIR (Fourier transform infrared) spectroscopy, GC–MS (gas chromatography–mass spectroscopy), and near-ambient pressure X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy were employed to verify gas interactions and their byproducts. Additionally, finite-difference time-domain simulations were used to model the electromagnetic field distribution and provide insight into the interaction between NO₂ molecules and the sensor surface at the nanoscale. A prototype wireless IoT (Internet of Things)-based NO₂ gas leakage detection system was also developed, showcasing the sensor’s practical application. This study offers valuable insight into the development of room-temperature NO₂ sensors with a low detection limit.