Enhanced trimethylamine gas sensor sensitivity based on quartz crystal microbalance using nanofibers overlaid with maltodextrin

This study proposes a novel quartz crystal microbalance-based sensor using polyvinyl acetate nanofibers overlaid with maltodextrin to enhance sensitivity toward trimethylamine (TMA) gas. The sensor demonstrated a remarkable increase in sensitivity by 8.3 times, with a detection limit of 15.6 ppm. The enhanced sensitivity is due to reversible intermolecular Lewis acid-base interaction between active groups of maltodextrin and TMA gas molecules. Moreover, the sensor exhibited good selectivity, stability, and fast response and recovery times of 141 s and 116 s, respectively. The proposed sensor offers a promising alternative to conventional methods for accurately monitoring TMA gas levels in the air.