Organizational Proposal Ideologies and Incipient Concert Edges of Cation-Engineered Spinel Ferrite Nanocomposites for Gas Sensing
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.59436/ijpsr.v2i2.2.3139-342XKeywords:
spinel ferrites; cation engineering; nanocomposites; chemiresistive gas sensors; heterojunction; oxygen vacanciesAbstract
Metal oxide chemiresistors targeting NH₃, H₂S, and NO₂ at occupational and environmental thresholds remain constrained by poor selectivity, elevated operating temperatures, and humidity interference. Spinel ferrite nanocomposites provide two design variables absent from single-composition oxide sensors: ferrite cation-site occupancy and composite junction architecture. The 2015–2024 literature on cation-engineered MFe₂O₄ composites is systematically reviewed across ferrite/metal oxide, ferrite/carbon, ferrite/conducting polymer, and bi-ferrite architectures for NH₃, NO₂, H₂S, ethanol, acetone, and toluene. ZnO/ZnFe₂O₄ hollow nanocages resolved acetone to 1 ppm at 290°C with a response of 25.8, outperforming both isolated phases under identical conditions. Ni substitution produced Fe/Ni-ratio-dependent barrier sensitivity, and Co substitution restricted grain growth at elevated temperatures. Cu substitution altered composite morphology and carrier transport through partner-phase-dependent mechanisms. Ferrite/carbon composites achieved 0.02 ppm acetone at room temperature but showed unstable long-term performance. Ferrite/polymer composites operated at room temperature but degraded above 150°C. Bi-ferrite heterojunctions carry no indexed chemiresistive sensing data. No study in the reviewed period connects verified A/B-site cation occupancy to composite junction behaviour and sensing outcome within a single controlled experiment. Zn/Ni co-doped ferrite composites with Mössbauer-confirmed occupancy, systematic ratio variation, and humidity-controlled sensing represent the primary unresolved experimental target in cation-engineered composite sensing.
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