Highly Enhanced Sensing Properties for ZnO Nanoparticle-Decorated Round-Edged α-Fe₂O₃ Hexahedrons.

ZnO/α-Fe2O3 composites built from plenty of ZnO nanoparticles decorated on the surfaces of uniform round-edged α-Fe2O3 hexahedrons were successfully prepared via a facile solvothermal method. Various techniques were employed to obtain the crystalline and morphological characterization of the as-prepared samples. In addition, a comparative sensing performance investigation between the two kinds of sensing materials clearly demonstrated that the sensing properties of ZnO/α-Fe2O3 composites were substantially enhanced compared with those of the single α-Fe2O3 component, which manifest the superiority of the ZnO decoration as we expected. For instance, the response of ZnO/α-Fe2O3 composites to 100 ppm acetone is ∼30, which is ∼3.15-fold higher than that of primary α-Fe2O3 hexahedrons. The synergetic effect is believed to be the source of the improvement of gas-sensing properties.

[1]  Thorsten Wagner,et al.  Ordered Mesoporous In2O3: Synthesis by Structure Replication and Application as a Methane Gas Sensor , 2009 .

[2]  Peng Sun,et al.  Hierarchical α-Fe2O3/SnO2 semiconductor composites: Hydrothermal synthesis and gas sensing properties , 2013 .

[3]  N. Yamazoe.  New approaches for improving semiconductor gas sensors , 1991 .

[4]  K. Kim,et al.  Highly sensitive C2H5OH sensors using Fe-doped NiO hollow spheres , 2012 .

[5]  Ling-Dong Sun,et al.  Hierarchical assembly of SnO2 nanorod arrays on alpha-Fe2O3 nanotubes: a case of interfacial lattice compatibility. , 2005, Journal of the American Chemical Society.

[6]  N. Yamazoe,et al.  Oxide Semiconductor Gas Sensors , 2003 .

[7]  Y. Shimizu,et al.  Variations in I-V characteristics of oxide semiconductors induced by oxidizing gases , 1996 .

[8]  Q. Ma,et al.  Dye-sensitized solar cells based on flower-shaped α-Fe2O3 as a photoanode and reduced graphene oxide–polyaniline composite as a counter electrode , 2013 .

[9]  Pelagia-Irene Gouma,et al.  Ferroelectric WO3 Nanoparticles for Acetone Selective Detection , 2008 .

[10]  Peng Sun,et al.  Hydrothermal synthesis of 3D urchin-like α-Fe2O3 nanostructure for gas sensor , 2012 .

[11]  J. H. Lee,et al.  Gas sensors using hierarchical and hollow oxide nanostructures: Overview , 2009 .

[12]  Zhenhui Kang,et al.  Hematite homogeneous core/shell hierarchical spheres: Surfactant-free solvothermal preparation and their improved catalytic property of selective oxidation , 2012 .

[13]  Q. Li,et al.  Enhanced gas sensing properties of ZnO/SnO2 hierarchical architectures by glucose-induced attachment , 2011 .

[14]  G. Lu,et al.  Porous SnO2 hierarchical nanosheets: hydrothermal preparation, growth mechanism, and gas sensing properties , 2011 .

[15]  G. Lu,et al.  Facile synthesis and gas-sensing properties of monodisperse α-Fe2O3 discoid crystals , 2012 .

[16]  S. R. Silva,et al.  From 1D and 2D ZnO nanostructures to 3D hierarchical structures with enhanced gas sensing properties. , 2014, Nanoscale.

[17]  G. Lu,et al.  Hollow α-Fe2O3 quasi-cubic structures: Hydrothermal synthesis and gas sensing properties , 2014 .

[18]  G. Lu,et al.  Template-free synthesis and gas sensing properties of hierarchical hollow ZnO microspheres , 2013 .

[19]  S. Agarwala,et al.  Probing the morphology-device relation of Fe₂O₃ nanostructures towards photovoltaic and sensing applications. , 2012, Nanoscale.

[20]  Tianye Yang,et al.  Enhanced HCHO gas sensing properties by Ag-loaded sunflower-like In2O3 hierarchical nanostructures , 2014 .

[21]  Ooi Kiang Tan,et al.  Low‐Temperature Growth of SnO2 Nanorod Arrays and Tunable n–p–n Sensing Response of a ZnO/SnO2 Heterojunction for Exclusive Hydrogen Sensors , 2011 .

[22]  K. Tang,et al.  Facile Route for the Fabrication of Porous Hematite Nanoflowers: Its Synthesis, Growth Mechanism, Application in the Lithium Ion Battery, and Magnetic and Photocatalytic Properties , 2008 .

[23]  Xingfu Zhou,et al.  Construction of hollow and mesoporous ZnO microsphere: a facile synthesis and sensing property. , 2012, ACS applied materials & interfaces.

[24]  N. Yamazoe,et al.  Hierarchical α-Fe2O3/NiO composites with a hollow structure for a gas sensor. , 2014, ACS applied materials & interfaces.

[25]  Fei Ding,et al.  ZnO micro-windbreak for enhanced gas diffusion , 2013 .

[26]  Xuchuan Jiang,et al.  Solvothermal synthesis of ZnO-decorated α-Fe2O3 nanorods with highly enhanced gas-sensing performance toward n-butanol , 2014 .

[27]  W. Mai,et al.  Significantly enhanced photocatalytic activities and charge separation mechanism of Pd-decorated ZnO-graphene oxide nanocomposites. , 2014, ACS applied materials & interfaces.

[28]  Zheng Lou,et al.  Branch-like hierarchical heterostructure (α-Fe2O3/TiO2): a novel sensing material for trimethylamine gas sensor. , 2013, ACS applied materials & interfaces.

[29]  Juan Zhou,et al.  Controllable synthesis, magnetic properties, and enhanced photocatalytic activity of spindlelike mesoporous α-Fe(2)O(3)/ZnO core-shell heterostructures. , 2012, ACS applied materials & interfaces.

[30]  J. M. Merino,et al.  Magnetic properties of ZnO nanoparticles. , 2007, Nano letters.

[31]  Weimin Du,et al.  Preparation and gas sensing properties of ZnM2O4 (M = Fe, Co, Cr) , 2004 .

[32]  Tongtong Wang,et al.  Synthesis and properties of multipod-shaped ZnO nanorods for gas-sensor applications , 2005 .

[33]  Li Liu,et al.  Tungsten trioxide nanotubes with high sensitive and selective properties to acetone , 2014 .

[34]  F. Huang,et al.  SnO2/α-Fe2O3 nanoheterostructure with novel architecture: structural characteristics and photocatalytic properties , 2011 .

[35]  Yeon-Tae Yu,et al.  Solvothermal synthesis of ZnO nanostructures and their morphology-dependent gas-sensing properties. , 2013, ACS applied materials & interfaces.

[36]  G. Lu,et al.  Synthesis of novel SnO2/ZnSnO3 core–shell microspheres and their gas sensing properities , 2011 .

[37]  Dewyani Patil,et al.  Highly sensitive and selective LPG sensor based on α-Fe2O3 nanorods , 2011 .

[38]  Jun Zhang,et al.  Synthesis and gas sensing properties of α-Fe2O3@ZnO core–shell nanospindles , 2011, Nanotechnology.

[39]  B. Grzybowski,et al.  Enhanced photocatalytic activity of hybrid Fe2O3–Pd nanoparticulate catalysts , 2012 .

[40]  Peng Gao,et al.  Synthesis and enhanced ethanol sensing characteristics of α-Fe2O3/SnO2 core–shell nanorods , 2009, Nanotechnology.

[41]  Chen-Sheng Yeh,et al.  Hydrothermal Synthesis of SnO2 Nanoparticles and Their Gas-Sensing of Alcohol , 2007 .

[42]  Z. Chang,et al.  Sea urchin-like Ag–α-Fe2O3 nanocomposite microspheres: synthesis and gas sensing applications , 2012 .

[43]  Xiaohong Sun,et al.  Nanocasting synthesis of In2O3 with appropriate mesostructured ordering and enhanced gas-sensing property. , 2014, ACS applied materials & interfaces.

[44]  Zhong Lin Wang,et al.  In Situ Field Emission of Density‐Controlled ZnO Nanowire Arrays , 2007 .

[45]  Zhigang Yin,et al.  Applications of ZnO in organic and hybrid solar cells , 2011 .

[46]  Yang‐Kook Sun,et al.  α-Fe2O3 Submicron Spheres with Hollow and Macroporous Structures as High-Performance Anode Materials for Lithium Ion Batteries , 2014 .

[47]  G. Lu,et al.  Synthesis and gas sensing properties of bundle-like α-Fe2O3 nanorods , 2011 .

[48]  U. Paik,et al.  Facile Synthesis of Ultrathin ZnO Nanotubes with Well-Organized Hexagonal Nanowalls and Sealed Layouts: Applications for Lithium Ion Battery Anodes , 2013 .

[49]  Changsheng Xie,et al.  Preparation and gas-sensing properties of Ce-doped ZnO thin-film sensors by dip-coating , 2007 .

[50]  Wenjun Zheng,et al.  α-Fe2O3: Hydrothermal Synthesis, Magnetic and Electrochemical Properties , 2010 .

[51]  R. N. Karekar,et al.  Formulation and characterization of ZnO:Sb thick-film gas sensors , 1998 .

[52]  Xiaoming Sun,et al.  Highly sensitive WO3 hollow-sphere gas sensors. , 2004, Inorganic chemistry.

[53]  Yong-Shik Han,et al.  Ni2O3-decorated SnO2 particulate films for methane gas sensors , 2014 .

[54]  Giovanni Neri,et al.  Resistive CO gas sensors based on In2O3 and InSnOx nanopowders synthesized via starch-aided sol-gel process for automotive applications , 2008 .