Impedancemetric zirconia-based sensor for detection of propene at high temperature

We report here that impedancemetric sensor based on yttria-stabilized zirconia (YSZ) can detect propene (C₃H₆) sensitively and selectively under wet condition, if the selection of sensing-electrode (SE) material and operating condition is made properly. Among the various single-oxide SEs examined, ZnO was found to give rather high sensitivity to C₃H₆ at 600°C in the presence of 1 vol.% H₂O as well as negligible sensitivity to CH4 which is not regulated as an air pollutant. In addition, when 1.5 wt.% Pt was loaded on ZnO-SE and the potential of +50 mV vs. Pt counter-electrode (CE) was applied to this SE, the present sensor was found to detect C₃H₆ rather sensitively with little interference of other gases, such as CO, NO, NO₂, H₂, CH₄, CO₂, H₂O and O₂, at 600°C.