Enhanced NO2 gas sensing properties by Ag-doped hollow urchin-like In2O3 hierarchical nanostructures

Abstract Ag-doped hollow urchin-like spheres In 2 O 3 hierarchical nanostructures are developed for NO 2 detection. Such unique architectures are synthesized by a facile and efficient solvothermal route combined with the subsequent thermal treatment. Various techniques, including X-ray powder diffraction (XRD), field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM) were employed to acquire the crystalline and morphological information of the as-obtained samples. Gas sensing performances of the sensor devices fabricated from pure and Ag-doped In 2 O 3 were systematically investigated. The results indicate that the sensors based on Ag-doped In 2 O 3 in certain molar ratio of AgNO 3 to In 2 O 3 (1:100) exhibit the largest response toward 1 ppm NO 2 , which is almost 23 times higher than that of the sensor based on pure In 2 O 3 at the optimum operating temperature. It demonstrates that the Ag-doping can significantly improve the response to NO 2 . The excellent and enhanced NO 2 sensing performances of Ag-doped In 2 O 3 can be attributed to its novel hierarchical structure and the catalytic activity of Ag nanoparticles.

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