A novel approach to detect polybutylene terephthalate (PBT) combustion gases using cobalt-doped MoO¿ thin films

This research investigates a novel method for detecting various combustion gases released during the thermal degradation of polybutylene terephthalate (PBT) by utilizing molybdenum trioxide (MoO¿) thin films, both in their pure form and doped with cobalt at concentrations of 3 wt%, 5 wt%, and 7 wt%. The films were deposited using ultrasonic spray pyrolysis (USP) and were analyzed through techniques such as X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), which indicated the presence of both h-MoO¿ and ¿-MoO¿ phases. The introduction of cobalt doping resulted in lattice distortions and an increase in particle size, which improved the gas adsorption and desorption characteristics. The gas sensing experiments demonstrated that cobalt doping significantly enhanced the selectivity and sensitivity to volatile organic compounds (VOCs), achieving a response rate of up to 80 %. The dynamic response curves become distinctive ¿fingerprints¿ of gas emissions, facilitating the differentiation of plastics based on their combustion characteristics. To the authors' knowledge, this is the first study to utilize MoO¿-based sensors for the detection of plastic combustion through gas emission profiles, marking a significant advancement in sustainable waste management and environmental monitoring technologies. © 2025 Elsevier Ltd

A novel approach to detect polybutylene terephthalate (PBT) combustion gases using cobalt-doped MoO¿ thin films Academic Article in Scopus