Gas Sensing Properties of p-Co₃O₄/n-TiO₂ Nanotube Heterostructures

Sensors (Basel). 2018 Mar 23;18(4):956. doi: 10.3390/s18040956.

Abstract

In this paper, we fabricated p-Co₃O₄/n-TiO₂ heterostructures and investigated their gas sensing properties. The structural and morphological characterization were performed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy analysis (XPS). The electrical properties of the heterostructure were studied within the temperature range from 293 K to 423 K. Changes in electrical properties and sensing behavior against reducing and oxidizing gases were attributed to the formation of p-n heterojunctions at the Co₃O₄ and TiO₂ interface. In comparison with sensing performed with pristine TiO₂ nanotubes (NTs), a significant improvement in H₂ sensing at 200 °C was observed, while the sensing response against NO₂ decreased for the heterostructures. Additionally, a response against toluene gas, in contrast to pristine TiO₂ NTs, appeared in the Co₃O₄/TiO₂ heterostructure samples.

Keywords: Co3O4; TiO2; gas sensor; heterostructure; metal-oxide; nanostructures; nanotubes.