Rare earth element-doped porous In_(2)O_(3) nanosheets for enhanced gas-sensing performance

Rare earth(La,Pr,Sm,Ce and Yb)-doped porous In_(2)O_(3) nanosheets are prepared by a solvothermal method.The effect of rare earth elements on the structure,morphologies and gas-sensing performance of In_(2)O_(3) nanosheets is systematically investigated.The mixed phase composed of c-In_(2)O_(3) and rh-In_(2)O_(3) can be transformed into rh-In_(2)O_(3) by doping with rare earth elements.After doping with rare earth elements,the morphology can be changed from compact nanosheets to porous sheets.Compared with pure In_(2)O_(3) and La,Pr,Sm,Ce-doped porous In_(2)O_(3) nanosheets,Yb-doped In_(2)O_(3) nanosheets present the best gas-sensing performance.Among 3%-10%Yb-doped samples,6%Yb-doped In_(2)O_(3) porous nanosheets exhibit the optimal gas-sensing performance to 5×10^(-6)-750×10^(-6) acetone,giving a high response of 15.3 toward 50×10^(-6) acetone and fast response/recovery time at the operating temperature of 220℃.Moreover,6% Yb-doped porous In_(2)O_(3) nanosheet sensor also exhibits excellent selectivity and stability,indicating its potential in the nextgeneration gas sensor.