Bottle-brush-shaped heterostructures of NiO–ZnO nanowires: growth study and sensing properties

Year: 2017

Authors: Baratto C., Kumar R., Comini E., Ferroni M., Campanini M.

Autors Affiliation: CNR INO, SENSOR Lab, Via Branze 45, Brescia, Italy; Brescia Univ, Dept Informat Engn, SENSOR Lab, Via Branze 38, Brescia, Italy; CNR IMM, Sez Bologna, Via Gobetti 101, I-40129 Bologna, Italy; EMPA, Uberlandstr 129, CH-8600 Zurich, Switzerland; Univ Oslo, Dept Phys, Ctr Mat Sci & Nanotechnol SMN, POB 1048, NO-0316 Oslo, Norway.

Abstract: We present here heterostructured ZnO-NiO nanowires (NWs), constituted by a core of single crystalline ZnO NWs, covered by poly-crystalline NiO nanorods (NRs). The bottle-brush shape was investigated by scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscope, confirming that a columnar growth of NiO occurred over the ZnO core, with a preferred orientation of NiO over ZnO NWs. The heterostructured devices are proposed for gas sensing application. Bare ZnO NWs and heterostructured sensors with two different thicknesses of NiO poly-crystalline NRs were analysed for acetone, ethanol, NO2 and H-2 detection. All sensors maintained n-type sensing mechanism, with improved sensing performance for lower thickness of NiO, due to high catalytic activity of NiO. The sensing dynamic is also strongly modified by the presence of heterojunction of NiO/ZnO, with a reduction of response and recovery times towards ethanol and acetone at 400 degrees C.

Journal/Review: NANOTECHNOLOGY

Volume: 28 (46)      Pages from: 465502-1  to: 465502-9

More Information: The research leading to these results were partially funded by the NATO Science for Peace and Security Programme under grant No. 9085043. The TEM measurements were performed at INFIM Institute in Bucharest (Dr C Ghica and Dr R Damian) and supported by CERIC Consortium (proposal 20152072).
KeyWords: heterostructure; chemical gas sensor; TEM; nanowire; ZnO; NiO
DOI: 10.1088/1361-6528/aa8d2a

Citations: 10
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