ZHOU Lanjuan，NIU Chang，WANG Jiale，ZHANG Dongzhi
College of Control Science and Engineering， China University of Petroleum （East China）， Qingdao 266580， China
Objective Food spoilage is a significant cause of food waste. To address this issue， the study designs a quartz crystal microbalance (QCM) sensor using a MXene-reduced graphene oxide (MXene-rGO) composite as the sensitive film. This sensor is employed to detect ammonia gas released during food spoilage， facilitating the monitoring of food spoilage levels.
Methods A MXene-rGO solution was synthesized by mixing the prepared MXene solution with rGO. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) was employed to characterize the surface morphology of the composite material. Subsequently, a QCM experimental setup was established to systematically investigate the sensor's dynamic response characteristics, linearity, sensitivity, stability, repeatability, and selectivity toward ammonia gas. Finally, experiments were conducted to validate the sensor's applicability for food spoilage detection.
Results and Discussion In dynamic response tests, QCM sensors modified with MXene, rGO, and MXene-rGO were sequentially exposed to ammonia concentrations of 1×10-6, 5×10-6, 1×10-5, 2×10-5, 5×10-5, and 7×10-5, with air used as a reference environment. Among the three, the MXene-rGO modified QCM sensor exhibited the largest frequency shift at all concentrations, indicating superior sensing performance. Its frequency responses reached 18.336，59.692，78.36，107.856，252.174, and 343. 992 Hz at respective ammonia concentrations. Linear fitting of the sensor output showed that the MXene-rGO modified QCM sensor exhibited the steepest linear regression slope， demonstrating excellent sensitivity. For the repeatability analysis, the MXene-rGO modified QCM sensor was tested for its response characteristics to 2×10-5 ammonia gas under room-temperature conditions. The frequency shift remained consistent across multiple repeated cycles, indicating good repeatability. Long-term stability testing conducted at ammonia concentrations of 1×10-5, 2×10-5, and 5×10-5 over one month further confirmed its excellent stability. Overall, the experimental results validate the superior performance of the MXene-rGO modified QCM sensor in ammonia gas sensing applications, highlighting its potential for practical application in food spoilage monitoring systems.
Conclusion This paper presents a novel ammonia gas sensor designed for monitoring food spoilage levels, employing MXene-rGO composite as the sensitive film. The sensor exhibits excellent capability in detecting ammonia gas, with a frequency shift of up to 252.174 Hz at 5×10-5 ammonia. Additionally, it demonstrates good stability and repeatability. These findings highlight its strong practical value, offering a promising sensing technology for detecting gases associated with food spoilage.
Keywords：food spoilage; quartz crystal microbalance; ammonia gas; reduced graphene oxide
Get Citation: ZHOU Lanjuan， NIU Chang， WANG Jiale， et al. Quartz crystal microbalance ammonia sensor based on MXene and reduced graphene oxide［J］. China Powder Science and Technology，2026，32（1）：14−22.
Received: 2025-02-18, Revised: 2025-11-22, Online: 2025-12-12.
Funding:The research was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No. 52475580) and the Taishan Scholars Talent Program of Shandong Province (Grant No. tsqn202211077).
DOI：10.13732/j.issn.1008-5548.2026.01.003
CLC No: G642.0；TP212 Type Code: A
Serial No:1008-5548（2026）01-0014-09
