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Nb<sub>2</sub>O<sub>5</sub> Microcolumns for Ethanol Sensing
oleh: Gayan W. C. Kumarage, Shasika A. Panamaldeniya, Valentin A. Maraloiu, Buddhika S. Dassanayake, Nanda Gunawardhana, Elisabetta Comini
Format: | Article |
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Diterbitkan: | MDPI AG 2024-03-01 |
Deskripsi
Pseudohexagonal Nb<sub>2</sub>O<sub>5</sub> microcolumns spanning a size range of 50 to 610 nm were synthesized utilizing a cost-effective hydrothermal process (maintained at 180 °C for 30 min), followed by a subsequent calcination step at 500 °C for 3 h. Raman spectroscopy analysis unveiled three distinct reflection peaks at 220.04 cm<sup>−1</sup>, 602.01 cm<sup>−1</sup>, and 735.3 cm<sup>−1</sup>, indicative of the pseudohexagonal crystal lattice of Nb<sub>2</sub>O<sub>5</sub>. The HRTEM characterization confirmed the inter-lattice distance of 1.8 Å for the 110 plain and 3.17 Å for the 100 plain. The conductometry sensors were fabricated by drop-casting a dispersion of Nb<sub>2</sub>O<sub>5</sub> microcolumns, in ethanol, on Pt electrodes. The fabricated sensors exhibited excellent selectivity in detecting C<sub>2</sub>H<sub>5</sub>OH (ΔG/G = 2.51 for 10 ppm C<sub>2</sub>H<sub>5</sub>OH) when compared to a variety of tested gases, including CO, CO<sub>2</sub>, NO<sub>2</sub>, H<sub>2</sub>, H<sub>2</sub>S, and C<sub>3</sub>H<sub>6</sub>O. The optimal operating temperature for this selective detection was determined to be 500 °C in a dry air environment. Moreover, the sensors demonstrated exceptional repeatability over the course of three testing cycles and displayed strong humidity resistance, even when exposed to 90% relative humidity. This excellent humidity resistance gas sensing property can be attributed to their nanoporous nature and elevated operating temperature.