Gatsi, NCMhlongo, Gugu HMoloto, NMwonga, PVOzoemena, KIErasmusCoetsee, E, RMSwart, HCNtwaeaborwa, OM2025-07-242025-07-242025-110925-40051944-8201https://doi.org/10.1016/j.snb.2025.138199http://hdl.handle.net/10204/14324This study reports, for the first time, the sensitive detection of ethylene by Ag-modified β-Ga2O3 nanorods synthesized by hydrothermal method. Surface modification of β-Ga2O3 nanorods-based sensors by 0.5, 1.0, and 1.5 mol% of silver (Ag) nanoparticles remarkably enhanced the sensor performance. A dramatic enhancement was observed from the 1.0 mol% Ag modified β-Ga2O3 sensor with a response of 3.18, a fast response time of 37 s, and the lowest detectable concentration of 1.3 ppm recorded at a low operating temperature of 140 ℃. Ethylene is a hormone that accelerates ripening in fruits and vegetables and its real-time detection at low concentrations is important for quality monitoring. The proposed underlying sensing mechanism for the detection of ethylene is explained from experimental data and density functional (DFT) theory calculations, and there is a correlation between experimental results and theoretical calculations. The DFT calculations elucidated the electronic sensitization of β-Ga2O3 by Ag.FulltextenEthyleneGallium oxideSilverGas sensingArticleN/A