Selectivity towards methyl mercaptan of Pt-PtO functionalized WO3 nanostructures made by flame spray pyrolysis

Abstract

This work presented 0–1 wt% Pt-PtO functionalized WO3 nanostructures synthesized by flame spray pyrolysis (FSP) for methyl mercaptan (CH3SH)-sensing applications. According to electron microscopic and X-ray spectroscopic analysis, 1–3 nm Pt-PtO core-shell nanoparticles were decorated on 5–20 nm primary monoclinic WO3 nanoparticles. The gas-sensing data revealed that Pt-PtO loading with an optimum Pt content of 0.5 wt% provided a remarkably enhanced CH3SH response of 204 to 500 ppb CH3SH at the best sensing temperature of 250°C with a low detection limit of 26 ppb and high CH3SH selectivity relative to (CH3)2S, H2S, CH3OH, C2H5OH, C3H6O, NH3, NO2, H2, CH4, C2H2 and short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) including CH3COOH, C2H5COOH, C3H7COOH. Therefore, the flame-synthesized Pt-PtO functionalized WO3 nanosensors could be potential for CH3SH detection at ppb levels in the medical applications particularly noninvasive breath diagnosis of halitosis and serious infection of periodontitis. © 2025