Low power consumption and fast response H2S gas sensor based on a chitosan-CuO hybrid nanocomposite thin film

•Chitosan-CuO-IL flexible membrane were successfully prepared for H2S gas detection at 40 °C.•CS-CuO-IL membrane is inexpensive to make, environmentally friendly, and energy-efficient.•The fabricated sensor is selective, sensitive and having fast response time of 14 s.•The sensor is having long-term stability and low power consumption. In this work, a novel selective and low temperature H2S gas sensor was fabricated based on copper (II) oxide nanoparticles (CuO NPs) in different concentrations, embedded in a conductivity-engineered organic (glycerol ionic liquid-doped chitosan) membrane/film. The sensing membranes of organic-inorganic nanocomposites (CS-IL-CuO) were prepared by casting method and were tested against H2S gas with reference to time at different temperatures and H2S gas concentrations. The fabricated sensor showed a fast response (14 s) and good sensitivity (15 ppm) towards H2S gas at a low temperature of 40 °C. Moreover, the sensor showed a high reversibility and less humidity dependence at 40 °C. Moreover, this type of hybrid nanocomposites sensor is easy and inexpensive to manufacture and is energy efficient. Thus, it has potential to be used for industrial applications in harsh environments.