Zinc Oxide Nanorod Electrolyte–Insulator– Semiconductor Sensor for Enhanced 2-Methoxyethanol Selectivity

In this work, we demonstrate 2-methoxyethanol-sensitive ZnO nanorods based on electrolyte-insulator-semiconductor (EIS) structure. The hydrothermal method is employed to synthesize the ZnO nanorods on Si substrate. The structural, morphological, compositional, and optical features of ZnO nanorods are analyzed, confirming the formation of hexagonal structure in ZnO nanorods. We investigate the sensing performance of EIS-based ZnO nanorods for the detection of various organic solvents (2-methoxyethanol, ethanol, and methanol) at various concentrations. As a chemical sensor, these EIS-based ZnO nanorods are capable of generating a different exposure response to 2-methoxyethanol than to methanol than to ethanol. The highest sensitivity, stability, and reproducibility are with respect to 2-methoxyethanol, making the ZnO nanorods prepared here a promising sensing membrane for 2-methoxyethanol.