Fabrication and gas sensing property of honeycomb-like ZnO

We report the structural characterization and proposed formation mechanism of honeycomb-like ZnO conglomerations fabricated by direct precipitation method. X-ray diffraction （XRD）, energy-disperse X-ray spectrometry （EDS）, scanning electron microscopy （SEM） showed that the as-prepared ZnO calcined at 700 ℃ were micron sphere particles with honeycomb-like structure. In the UV-vis absorbing spectrum, it was observed that there is a new additional absorption band at 260 nm, and it was speculated that the absorption may be caused by defects on the surface and interface of honeycomb-like ZnO. The as-products showed high sensitivity and short response time to sulfured hydrogen gas. These results demonstrate that honeycomb-like ZnO conglomerations are very promising materials for fabricating H2S gas sensors.

Synthesis of Tin Oxide Through Thermal Decomposition of Sn_2(NH_4)_2(C_2O_4)_3 and Its Gas Sensing Property

Nanocrystalline tin oxide samples were prepared by using Sn2 （NH4 ）2 （C2O4）3 as the precursor. The thermal decompositions were respectively conducted at 250,450 and 650 ℃. TG-DTA, XRD, TEM, FTIR were used to characterize the samples. The indirect heating sensors by using these materials as sensitive bodies were fabricated on an alumina tube with Au electrodes and platinum wires. Sensing properties of these sensors were investigated. It was found that the tin oxide sample obtained by thermal decomposition at 450 ℃ has a higher sensitivity to C2H5OH and a higher selectivity to hexane and ammonia than those obtained via the conventional precipitate method and the working temperatures needed were greatly decreased.

Synthesis,Proton Conductivity and Humidity Sensing Property ofγ-Type Zirconium Hydrogen Phosphate,Zr(HPO_4)_2·2H_2O

A γ - type of layered zirconium hydrogen phosphate, Zr(HPO 4) 2·2H 2O( γ ZrP), was synthesized under hydrothermal conditions and characterized by powder X ray diffraction and thermogravimetric analysis. The temperature dependence of the proton conductivity in γ ZrP was investigated in a temperature range of 23￣413 ℃ by ac impedance spectroscopy. The variation of the conductivity with water loss and phase transitions was observed. The best proton conductivity in γ ZrP is 6×10 -4 S·cm -1 at 60 ℃. The proton conductivities in the dehydrated sample are ￣10 -5 at 150 ℃ and ￣10 -4 S·cm -1 at 350 ℃, respectively. The conductivities as a function of humidity in the temperature range of 120￣200 ℃ were measured.

Synthesis，Proton Conductivity and High－Temperature Humidity Sensing Property of Zr（HPO_4）_2·H_2O and Its Aluminium－substituted Compositions

A series of aluminium-containing α-type hydrated zirconium hydrogen phosphates,Zr_(1-x)Alx (H_(1+x/2)PO_4 )_2 with x=0-0.06,were hydrothermally synthesized and characterizedby means of X-ray diffraction,differential thermal analysis and thermogravimetric analysis.The proton conductivity,1.2×10￣(-4) S·cm￣(-1)at 180℃ was found in Zr_(0.98)Al_(0.02)(H_(1.01)PO_4)_2·H_2O.Humidity-sensing measurements were carried out at 120℃ and 140℃ respectively.Even a limited substitution of Al for Zr can enhance both proton conductivity and humidity sensitivity.

Synthesis,characterization and gas-sensing properties of Pd-doped SnO_2 nano particles

SnO2 nano particles with various Pd-doping concentrations were prepared using a template-free hydrothermal method.The effects of Pd doping on the crystal structure,morphology,microstructure,thermal stability and surface chemistry of these nano particles were characterized by transmission electron microscope,X-ray diffractometer and X-ray photoelectron spectroscope respectively.It was observed that Pd-doping had little effect on the grain sizes of the obtained SnO2 nano particles during the hydrothermal route.During thermal annealing,Pd-doping could restrain the growth of grain sizes below 500℃ while the grain growth was promoted when the temperature increased to above 700℃.XPS results revealed that Pd existed in three chemical states in the as-synthesized sample as Pd^0,Pd^2＋ and Pd^4＋,respectively.Pd^4＋ was the main state which was responsible for improving the gas-sensing property.The optimal Pd-doping concentration for better gas-sensing property and thermal stability was 2.0%-2.5% （mole fraction）.

Effect of annealing treatment on morphologies and gas sensing properties of ZnO nanorods

The high-temperature stabilization of ZnO nanorods synthesized by hydrothermal treatment was investigated. The structure and morphologies of ZnO nanorods were characterized by XRD and SEM, respectively. The thermal stability of ZnO nanorods was also detected by thermal gravity analyzing. Thermal annealing treatment results indicate that ZnO nanorods are fundamentally stable when annealing temperature is lower than 600 ℃. When annealing temperature is beyond 600℃, the diameters of ZnO nanorods obviously decrease and the aggravating tendency of nanorods between each other also increase. Annealing treatment can greatly influence the gas sensing properties of ZnO nanorods. Comparing with ZnO nanorods without annealing treatment, the gas sensing property of ZnO nanorods to H2 with concentration of 2.5×10-6 can increase from 2.22 to 3.56. ZnO nanorods annealed at 400 ℃ exhibit optimum gas sesing property to H2 gas.

Structure and Oxygen Sensing Properties of TiO_2 Porous Semiconductor Thin Films

Semiconductor-type TiO2 oxygen sensing thin films were synthesized using tetrabutyl titanate （Ti （OBu）4） as precursor and diethanolamine （DEA） as complexing agent by the sol-get process. The porous and oxygen sensing TiO2 films were obtained by the addition of polyethylene glycol （PEG）. The micrographs of scanning electron microscope （SEM） show that the pores of the sample about 400-600 nm in size with PEG（2 000 g/mol） are larger than those about 300 nm in size with PEG（ 1 000 g/mol）, while the density of pores is lower. The results also indicate that increasing the content of PEG properly is beneficial to the formation of porous structure. With the increasing content of PEG from 0 g to 2.5 g, the oxygen sensitivity increases from 330 to more than 1 000 at 800 ℃, from 170 to more than 1 000 at 900℃, and the response time to O2 and H2 are about 1.5 s and less than 1s, respectively.

Preparation and strain sensing properties of carbon nanotube composite yarns

The mechanical and strain sensing properties of carbon nanotube composite yarns （CNTs/PDMS） with different weight percent of PDMS were studied. The CNT/PDMS composite yarn was prepared by infiltration method. Pictures of diameter of CNT composite yarns were obtained though polarized light microscope. Resistance change values of CNT composites under stretching were obtained though the single fiber strength tester and digital multimeter and related mechanical, electrical software. The changes of mechanical properties. electrical properties and sensing pertbrmance of pure and composite CNT yarns were discussed and analyzed. The results showed that the strength of CNT yarn declined after it was composited with PDMS polymer. In addition, the conductivity and sensing performance of CNT yarns improved significantly. The most suitable CNT composite yam occurs at PDMS mass fraction of 1% when strength and sensing properties were all considered.

Preparation of polythiophene/WO_3 organic-inorganic hybrids and their gas sensing properties for NO_2 detection at low temperature

Polythiophene/WO3（PTP/WO3）organic-inorganic hybrids were synthesized by an in situ chemical oxidative polymerization method,and char- acterized by X-ray diffraction（XRD）,transmission electron microscopy（TEM）and thermo-gravimetric analysis（TGA）.The Polythiophene/ WO3 hybrids have higher thermal stability than pure polythiophene,which is beneficial to potential application as chemical sensors.Gas sensing measurements demonstrate that the gas sensor based on the Polythiophene/WO3 hybrids has high response and good selectivity for de- tecting NO2 of ppm level at low temperature.Both the operating temperature and PTP contents have an influence on the response of PTP/WO3 hybrids to NO2.The 10 wt%PTP/WO3 hybrid showed the highest response at low operating temperature of 70-C.It is expected that the PTP/WO3 hybrids can be potentially used as gas sensor material for detecting the low concentration of NO2 at low temperature.

Ethanol sensing properties of Bi_(3.15)Nd_(0.85)Ti_3O_(12) films at low operating temperatures

Bi3.15Nd0.85Ti3O12 (BNdT) films were deposited on Pt/Ti/SiO2/Si(100) substrates by a metal organic decomposition (MOD)method, and annealed by a rapid thermal annealing process in oxygen atmosphere and in air, respectively. The crystalline structuresand morphologies of BNdT films were characterized by X-ray diffraction and field-emission scanning electron microscopy, and thegas sensing properties were measured by monitoring its resistance at different gas concentrations. The results indicate that the BNdTfilms annealed in air are of porous microstructure and rough surface, and the annealing atmosphere has great influence on gas sensingproperties. At an operating temperature of 100 °C, the BNdT films annealed in air are of high response value to 1×10?6 gaseousethanol, and the detecting limit is as low as 0.1×10?6. The corresponding response and recovery time is about 10 and 6 s, respectively.The results can offer useful guidelines for fabricating high performance ethanol sensors.

Gas-sensing Properties of Bismuth Iron Molybdate Thin Films

The thin film gas sensors of bismuth iron molybdate were prepared by ion beam sputtering technique. The prototype gas sensors studied have high sensitivity and selectivity to reducing gases, such as ethanol vapor, show a long term stability of response under most operating conditions and insensitivity to atmospheric humidity, and respond quickly comparing to traditional sintered gas sensors. The crystallographic structure and phase composition of these thin films were investigated with XRD, XPS and SEM techniques.

X-Ray Radiation Sensing Properties of ZnS Thin Film:A Study on the Effect of Annealing

Chemically synthesized ZnS thin film is found to be a good x-ray radiation sensor. We report the effect of annealing on the x-ray radiation detection sensitivity of a ZnS thin film synthesized by a chemical bath deposition technique. The chemically synthesized ZnS films are annealed at 333, 363 and 393K for 1 h. Structural analyses show that the lattice defects in the films decrease with annealing. Further, the band gap is also found to decrease from 3.38 to 3.21 eV after annealing at 393K. Current-voltage characteristics of the films are studied under dark and x-ray irradiation conditions. Due to the decrease of lattice defects and band gap, the conductivity under dark conditions is found to increase from 2.06 × 10^-6 to 1.69 × 10^-5 S/em, while that under x-ray irradiation increases from 4.13 × 10^-5 to 5.28 ×10^-5 S/cm. On the other hand, the x-ray radiation detection sensitivity of the films is found to decrease with annealing. This decrease of detection sensitivity is attributed to the decrease of the band gap as well as some structural and surface morphological changes occurring after annealing.

Liquid Concentration Sensing Properties of Microfibers with a Nanoscale-Structured Film

A type of compact solution concentration sensor based on a microfiber with a nanoscale-structured film is proposed and demonstrated experimentally. Additional loss at different solution concentrations is calculated by means of the three-dimensional finite-difference time-domain （3D-FDTD） method. The microfiber is fabricated by using the flame-heated scanning technique. Nanoscale-structured film is coated on the microfiber surface, which is assembled as a sensing unit. The sensitivity of this kind of sensor increases with the decreasing diameters of the microfiber. When the diameter of the microfiber is 2 #m, a minimum concentration sensitivity of 1% （under 450s measuring time） is demonstrated in the experiment. Higher sensitivity can be attained when the solution concentration is higher. The sensing properties of this microfiber with the nanoscale-structured film may provide opportunities for new applications in optical sensing devices.

Dielectric Properties of Capacitive-Type Humidity Sensor Made under Different Pressures

Capacitive humidity sensors were made of nanometer barium titanate.The pellets were prepared under different pressures between 3920N to 7850N force.The capacitance changes in three orders of magnitude in the relative humidity range of 10%～98%,indicating high humidity sensitivity of the sensors.At a certain measuring frequency,the capacitance of the sensors increases as increasing of the preparation pressure,while the sensitivity of the sensors basically remains the same.The frequencies corresponding to the peaks of the dielectric loss of the sensors move to the higher frequency direction as increasing of the relative humidity.At a certain humidity,the frequencies corresponding to the peaks of the dielectric loss move to the higher frequency direction as increasing of the preparation pressure.

Tensile and Electro-Mechanical Properties of Carbon Nanotube Film Twisted Yarn with Adjustable Diameter

Carbon nanotube(CNT)yarns with adjustable diameters were manufactured by twisting CNT films with varied twists.Different from traditional CNT fibers,CNT yarns exhibited a larger diameter(423μm)and a higher tensile force(1988 cN).The results showed that CNT yarns with the twist angle of 35°exhibited the highest conductivity(886 S/cm)and the highest tensile strain(35%).

Soft template synthesis of high selectivity mesoporous SnO_2 gas sensors

Mesoporous SnO2 was synthesized using cetyltrimethyl ammonium bromide （CTAB） as supermolecule-template by hydrothermal method followed by calcining under different temperature in air. X-ray diffraction analysis （XRD） and transmission electron microscopy （TEM） techniques were used to characterize the structure of mesoporous SnO2. The results indicated that the gas sensors prepared by using mesoporous SnO2 after calcination at 400 ℃ showed quick response and recovery to ethanol at 200 ℃. It was also found that the mesostructure SnO2 with small particle size had higher sensitivity and selectivity to C2HhOH than the SnO2 nanoparticles the particle size of which is 20 nm synthesized by sol-gel method.

Nanocomposites Preparation and Its Application to Sensor

The nanocomposites of ZnO-SnO_2 and In_2O_3-SnO_2 were prepared by wet chemical co-precipitation method as a novel semiconductor gas sensing materials for the detection of environmentally toxic gases.Controlled preparation parameters were critical towards the grain size and crystallinity of the obtained nanocomposites.The results showed that these nanocomposites exhibited high sensitivity and selectivity for the detection of CO and NO_x,and the sensitivity depended on the composition of the composite,calcination temperature and operating temperature.The gas sensing properties of the sensors were further improved through incorporation of dopants and surface additives.The gas sensing mechanism was also discussed by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopic (XPS) and temperature-programmed desorption (TPD) studies.

Photoinduced Enhancement of Gas Response Behavior of Tetra(heptyloxy)phthalocyanine Thin Film

The response of a spin coated phthalocyanine film to 1ppm NO2 can be increased significantly by light. This may be ascribed to the irritation of phthalocyanine molecules. This irritation decreased the energy changes of the electron transfer between NO2 and phthalocyanine.

Plasmonic gold nanoshell induced spectral effects and refractive index sensing properties of excessively tilted fiber grating

We demonstrate a fiber refractive index（RI） sensor based on an excessively tilted fiber grating（ExTFG）immobilized by large-size plasmonic gold nanoshells（GNSs）. The GNSs are covalently linked on ExTFG surface.Experimental results demonstrate that both the intensity of the transverse magnetic（TM） and transverse electric（TE） modes of ExTFG are significantly modulated by the localized surface plasmon resonance（LSPR） of GNSs due to the wide-range absorption band. The wavelength RI sensitivities of the TM and TE modes in the low RI range of 1.333–1.379 are improved by ～25% and ～14% after GNSs immobilization, respectively, and the intensity RI sensitivities are ～599%/RIU and ～486%/RIU, respectively.

Filter paper-templated preparation of ZnO thin films and examination of their gas-sensing properties

ZnO thin films prepared by using quantitative filter paper as a template and Zn（CH3CO2）2.2H2O ethanol precursor solution were characterized by scanning electron microscopy （SEM） and X-ray diffraction （XRD）. The effects of sample calcination temperature, precursor concentration and filter paper types were studied, and the growth process was investigated by infra-red （IR） spectroscopy and thermogravimettic analysis/differential thermal analysis （TGA/DTA）. The results show that samples soaked in a 1.5 mol/L Zn（CH3 CO2）2.2H2O ethanol solution and calcined at 600 ℃ yield ZnO films of uniform particle size, approximately 30, 40 and 50 nm. for fast-, medium- and slow-speed filter papers, respectively. The formaldehyde gas sensing properties of the ZnO nanoparticles were tested, showing that the material prepared from fast-speed filter paper has a higher response to 120-205 ppm formaldehyde at 400 ℃ than that prepared from medium- or slow-sneed paper, which depends on the narticle size.