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Room-temperature ethylene glycol sensor based on cuprous oxide/MXene fi lmsSepehr Samiei 1 , Asadollah Kalantarian1 , Azam Iraji zad 1,2? & Narges Darmiani 2This study demonstrates a high-performance room-temperature ethylene glycol (EG) gas sensor using Cu 2 O/MXene bilayer fi lms on quartz crystal microbalance (QCM) substrates, addressing critical needs for industrial safety and environmental monitoring. The fabricated sensors were systematically characterized by XRD, FTIR, and FESEM, revealing that the Cu 2 O/MXene bilayer conf i guration achieved exceptional performance with an ultra-low detection limit of 381 ppb, high sensitivity of 22.8 Hz/ppm, and excellent selectivity compared to individual Cu 2 O, MXene, or their mixture fi lms. The enhanced sensing capability originates from synergistic ef f ects between p-type Cu 2 O and conductive MXene, forming a Schottky junction that facilitates charge transfer and promotes EG adsorption through combined physisorption mechanisms involving hydrogen bonding with MXene’s functional groups (OH, O, F) and interactions with oxygen species on Cu 2 O nanoparticles. At 72 ppm EG concentration, the bilayer sensor exhibited 12.6-fold, 3.6-fold, and 2.34-fold higher response than pure Cu 2 O, MXene alone, and their mixture fi lm, respectively. While humidity tests showed a moderate ~ 15% response reduction at 60% RH, the Cu 2 O/MXene bilayer maintained robust performance, establishing it as a cost-ef f ective and reliable room-temperature sensing platform suitable for next-generation gas detection applications in challenging environments.Keywords MXene, Cu 2 O/MXene bilayer, Quartz crystal microbalance (QCM), Gas sensors, Ethylene glycol (EG)Unprecedented industrial growth in recent decades, though instrumental in economic development and lifestyle improvements, has concurrently generated massive increases in emissions of noxious and dangerously reactive gases. Th ese emissions not only degrade air quality but also compromise public safety and pose severe risks to human health. As a result, gas sensors have become indispensable in applications ranging from environmental monitoring and industrial safety to national defense, disease diagnosis, and food inspection 1–5 .Ethylene glycol (HOCH 2 CH 2 OH), a vital colorless and sweet-tasting solvent widely utilized in industries for antifreeze, coolants, and polyester production, presents substantial health hazards. Its toxic fumes, particularly when exposed to high temperatures (80–90℃), can be harmful 6 . Its hydroxyl group oxidizes into glycolic acid and oxalic acids in the human body, causing severe health issues such as respiratory distress, pulmonary edema, and detrimental ef f ects on the nervous system, heart, and even fatality 7 . In the liver, ethylene glycol (EG) is initially converted into glycoaldehyde by alcohol dehydrogenase, and subsequently transformed into a series of toxic metabolites. Th e formation of insoluble calcium oxalate due to oxalic acid accumulation can cause renal damage, while the production of formic acid may lead to blindness. To safeguard public health, the American Academy of Clinical Toxicology has def i ned strict exposure thresholds, including a permissible concentration time-weighted average (PC-TWA) of 7.2 ppm and short-term exposure limit (PC-STEL) of 14.4 ppm 8 . Achieving reliable detection of EG at room temperature with high specif i city remains a signif i cant challenge in sensor technology.Recent studies have aimed to improve EG sensor performance. As summarized in Table 1, for instance, Wang et al. developed a NiO foam@Sn-doped In 2 O 3 nanowire sensor that exhibited a high response at 125 °C 9 , while Niavol et al. reported mesoporous Zn 2 SnO 4 nanostructures operating at 270 °C 10 . Despite these advances, the high operational temperatures and power requirements of these sensors limit their practical deployment, particularly in settings where energy ef f i ciency, sensor longevity, or cost are critical.Most reported EG gas sensors are of the resistive type, which of t en suf f er from temperature-control issues and high power consumption. At temperatures above 80℃, EG is readily oxidized into glycolaldehyde 1 Center for Nanoscience and Nanotechnology, Institute for Convergence Science and Technology, Sharif University of Technology, Tehran 14588-89694, Iran. 2 Department of Physics, Sharif University of Technology, Azadi Street, Tehran 11365-9161, Iran. ? email: iraji@sharif.eduOPENScientif i c Reports | (2025) 15:28639 1 | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-12019-1www.nature.com/scientificreports