Room-Temperature Operable, Fully Recoverable Ethylene Gas Sensor via Pulsed Electric Field Modulation

Ethylene (C 2 H 4 ) is an important plant hormone, and its concentration can be used as an essential indicator of fruit quality. However, C 2 H 4 is a non-polar gas with a relatively stable structure, making it challenging to detect and desorb without heating or irradiation. Here, a pulsed electric field modulation mode for non-polar gas detection is proposed, which enables fast and complete recovery of sensors at room temperature. Compared to the nearly impossible desorption without electric field assistance, the recovery time for 9 ppm C 2 H 4 can be reduced to 78 s when the +60 V pulse gate voltage is applied, which is nearly equivalent to the recorded values under heating or irradiation (50 s under 250 °C). Most crucially, with the help of a gate-induced electric field, the sensor achieves complete desorption within 100 s. This work offers a new approach for fast non-polar gas detection at room temperature and on-chip integration of gas sensors.