Sensitivity enhancement of ammonia gas sensor based on Ag/ZnO flower and nanoellipsoids at low temperature

Abstract High sensitivity ammonia gas sensor based on Ag/ZnO composite (SZO) nanostructures and their structural, optical, morphological and gas sensing properties were investigated. Field- emission scanning electron microscopy and high- resolution transmission electron microscopy revealed that pure ZnO flower-like nanorods transformed into nanoellipsoids upon adding of silver (Ag). Scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM) analysis showed clear flower-like morphology of Ag/ZnO composite. STEM-mapping measurement showed that Zn, Ag and O were homogeneously distributed. The ammonia gas sensing analysis revealed that the Ag/ZnO (6 wt%) showed higher gas response compared with other content of Ag wt%. Ag/ZnO (6 wt%) exhibited the highest response of 29.5 when exposed to 100 ppm ammonia gas. Interestingly, Ag/ZnO (6 wt%) possessed good response and recovery property of 13 and 20 s at low concentration of ammonia at 10 ppm, respectively. The mechanism of gas sensing and enhanced gas response of pure ZnO and Ag/ZnO composite was discussed.

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