Enhanced gas sensing properties of flower-like ZnO nanostructure to acetylene

Abstract

Well dispersed flower-like and rod-like zinc oxide (ZnO) microstructures were successfully synthesised by hydrothermal method with the assistance of hexadecyl trimethyl ammonium bromide. Microstructures and surface morphologies for both samples were characterised by X-ray diffraction, field emission scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy and high resolution transmission electron microscopy. Gas sensors were fabricated by screenprinting the as prepared ZnO nanostructures onto planar ceramic substrates. Then, their gas sensing properties were systematically investigated towards acetylene gas (C₂H₂). The products exhibit a high, reversible and fast response to C₂H₂ gas, and the flower-like ZnO architecture exhibits a better activity.

Keywords:

• Hydrothermal
• ZnO
• Gas sensors
• Acetylene
• Sensing properties

Acknowledgements

This work was supported in part by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (grant nos. 51277185 and 51202302), the Funds for Innovative Research Groups of China (grant no. 51021005) and China Postdoctoral Science Foundation (grant no. 2012M511904).