Gas sensor device for high-performance ethanol sensing using α-MnO2 nanoparticles

•Facile hydrothermal synthesis and characterizations of α-MnO2 nanoparticles.•Utilization of synthesized α-MnO2 nanoparticles to fabricate ethanol gas sensor.•At temperature of 300 °C and 200 ppm ethanol the gas response was 30.6.•The response and recovery times were 30 s and 40 s, respectively. α-MnO2 nanoparticles were hydrothermally synthesized and characterized for their various physicochemical properties using different techniques. The average diameter of the nanoparticles was observed to be 70 ± 5 nm along with well-resolved inter-planar spacing of 0.241 nm corresponding to (211) plane for α-MnO2 crystal phase. Working electrode for ethanol gas sensing fabricated by using α-MnO2 nanoparticles showed gas response of 30.6 at optimized temperature of 300 °C. The corresponding response and recovery times were 30 s and 40 s, respectively for 200 ppm ethanol at 300 °C.