Adsorption and gas sensing properties of CuFe₂O₄ nanoparticles

Spinel ferrite nanoparticles in the form CuFe₂O₄ were tested for gas sensing applications. Nanoparticles pressed in a disk form were used to construct conductometric gas sensors. The disk was placed between two electrical electrodes wherein the top electrode had a grid structure. The produced sensors were tested against H₂S and H₂ gases and they were found to be selective and sensitive to H₂S concentration as low as 25 ppm. The composition of the nanoparticles was confirmed by X-ray diffraction and energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy measurements. The crystal structure was verified by both X-ray diffraction and transmission electron microscope. The observations obtained from the experiments demonstrated the high potential of using CuFe₂O₄ nanoparticles for H₂S sensing applications.