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Ethylene, a biomarker widely employed for evaluating fruit ripening during storage, exists at extremely low concentrations. Therefore a gas sensor with high sensitivity and a sub-ppm detection limit is needed. In this work, porous Co₃O₄ nanorods were synthesized through a hydrothermal method involving Co(NO₃)₂, Na₂C₂O₄, H₂O and ethylene glycol (EG), followed by annealing at 400 °C in air. The surface of the porous Co₃O₄ nanorods was functionalized with Pt nanoparticles to enhance the ethylene sensing performance. The effect of Co₃O₄ surface functionalisation with Pt nanoparticles was investigated by adding different amounts of nanoparticles. The sensor’s outstanding performance at the optimum working temperature of 250 °C is attributed to the synergy between the high catalytic activity of Pt nanoparticles and the extensive surface area of the porous Co₃O₄ nanorods. Compared to pure Co₃O₄, the 0 …