Engineering 3D Mesoporous ZnO for Enhanced Gas Sensor Performance

Three-dimensional (3D) nanostructured materials have gained significant attention due to their unique physical and chemical properties, including high surface area-to-volume ratio, excellent thermal and chemical stability, low power consumption, and lightweight nature. These advantages make 3D metal-oxide nanostructures highly suitable for gas-sensing applications, leading to substantial research interest in developing low-cost, ultrasensitive gas sensors. Semiconductor metal oxides such as ZnO, SnO2, and In2O are widely explored for gas sensing because of their stability; however, their high operating temperatures and limited response remain challenges. To overcome these limitations, 3D nanostructures such as nanowires, nanorods, and nanopyramids are being developed, offering enhanced electron transport, high crystallinity, larger surface area, and lower operating temperatures. Chemical synthesis techniques are particularly attractive as they enable large-area, catalyst-free growth of such nanostructures. The proposed work focuses on synthesizing 3D ZnO nanostructures using chemical routes and studying their gas-sensing behaviour.