Isopropanol sensor based on sprayed In2S3 thin film using linear discriminant analysis for real-time selectivity

Abstract

Metal sulfides have been studied for their high performance as new sensitive materials for gas detection. These material innovations contribute significantly to the development of more sensitive, stable and specific conductivity sensors, opening the way to new applications in detecting gases at low concentrations. Hence, this work reports on the sensing performance of In₂S₃ for isopropanol detection. Numerous VOCs, such as ketones, alcohols, and aldehydes, serve as cancer biomarkers. Notably, isopropanol, as a biomarker, shows a substantial increase (20–1007 ppb) in lung cancer patients, suggesting its potential as an early diagnostic criterion. To explore this, we fabricated a thin film of In₂S₃ onto a platinum interdigitated silicon dioxide substrate by simple and low-cost spray pyrolysis technology. Structural and morphological analyses via XRD, MEB, AFM, and TEM were conducted on the prepared samples. Isopropanol vapor response was assessed within a controlled temperature range of 250 °C–450 °C. The In₂S₃-based sensor demonstrated notable sensitivity (0.034 ppm⁻¹), maintained stability over three weeks, and reliably detected isopropanol activation. In₂S₃ emerges as a promising candidate for detecting isopropanol, with a limit of detection (LOD) of 162 ppb. In this work, seven VOCs, including isopropanol, ethanol, methanol, butan-1-ol, formaldehyde, toluene, and acetone, were evaluated. Cross-responses among these VOCs were observed, indicating a lack of assured sensor selectivity. However, isopropanol recognition was achieved by employing linear discriminant analysis (LDA) on pertinent features derived from transient current change measurements. As a result, the sensor's sensitivity enables the deduction of the isopropanol concentration.