Facile fabrication of ultrathin PS@Ag@ZIF-8 film for efficient detection of volatile organic compounds

PS@Ag@ZIF-8 sensor is constructed via room-temperature in-situ growth on monolayer colloidal crystals. • Introduced Ag nanoparticles greatly improve the sensor's optical features and structural color saturation. • The sensor selectively detects acetonitrile and alcohols by visible color change and reflection peak shift. • Fast response (<3 s), good recyclability for acetonitrile and high stability are achieved. • The design inspires low-cost portable gas sensors for environmental monitoring. In this work, we fabricated a high-performance optical sensor PS@Ag@ZIF-8 by sequentially depositing silver nanoparticles (NPs) and MOF thin films on the monolayer colloidal crystals surface via an in-situ growth method at room temperature. The rational introduction of silver NPs into the sensor structure remarkably improves its optical properties and structural color saturation. This sensor possesses excellent selective detection capability toward acetonitrile and alcohols. Moreover, the type and concentration of volatile organic pollutants (VOCs) vapors can be visually analyzed according to the shift of reflection peaks and distinct color differences in optical images. Meanwhile, it delivers an ultrafast response (<3 s) along with outstanding repeatability and recyclability. More importantly, it possesses a wide dynamic detection range, great linearity and exhibits excellent stability during operation. It is anticipated that this sensor provides a valuable reference for the development of low-cost, real-time and portable gas sensors for environmental monitoring. Download: Download high-res image (314KB) Download: Download full-size image