In situ growth of oxygen vacancies-rich ZnO nanorods for N-methyl pyrrolidone sensors

N-methyl pyrrolidone (NMP) is an organic compound that is mainly used in chemical synthesis, the manufacture of anesthetics and pesticides, and the production of electronic materials, especially in the preparation of electrodes for lithium-ion batteries. However, their high volatility and toxicity pose potential risks to health and the environment. Therefore, the development of rapid, highly sensitive and low-cost NMP gas sensors is urgent. In this paper, ZnO nanorods were in situ grown on ceramic tubes via hydrothermal method and subsequently annealed at different temperatures. The gas sensing performance of ZnO nanorods after annealing at different temperatures was investigated. The results show that the ZnO nanorods annealed at 400 °C have more oxygen vacancies and excellent selectivity to NMP at 210 °C, with a response value of up to 67.33–100 ppm NMP, a response time of 25 s, and a low recovery time as low as 8 s. The sensors have potential applications for rapid monitoring of NMP and environmental health protection, providing a simple and feasible method for NMP detection.