Ultrasensitive chemiresistors based on electrospun TiO2 nanofibers

Nano Lett. 2006 Sep;6(9):2009-13. doi: 10.1021/nl061197h.

Abstract

Nanostructured semiconducting metal oxides and particularly single nanowire devices offer exceptional gas sensitivity but at the expense of statistical variations and excessive noise levels. In this study TiO2/poly(vinyl acetate) composite nanofiber mats were directly electrospun onto interdigitated Pt electrode arrays, hot pressed at 120 degrees C, and calcined at 450 degrees C. This resulted in a novel multiple nanowire network composed of sheaths of 200-500 nm diameter cores filled with readily gas accessible approximately 10 nm thick single-crystal anatase fibrils. TiO2 nanofiber sensors tested for NO2, in dry air, exhibited exceptional sensitivity showing with, for example, a 833% increase in sensor resistance when exposed to 500 ppb NO2 at 300 degrees C, consistent with a detection limit estimated to be well below 1 ppb. Unusual response patterns were observed at high NO2 concentrations (> 12.5 ppm), consistent with n to p inversion of the surface-trap limited conduction facilitated by the high surface-to-volume ratio of this material.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.

MeSH terms

  • Crystallization / methods*
  • Electric Impedance
  • Electrochemistry / instrumentation*
  • Electrochemistry / methods
  • Equipment Design
  • Equipment Failure Analysis
  • Materials Testing
  • Nanotubes / chemistry*
  • Nanotubes / ultrastructure
  • Nitric Oxide / analysis*
  • Nitric Oxide / chemistry*
  • Rotation
  • Titanium / chemistry*
  • Transducers*

Substances

  • titanium dioxide
  • Nitric Oxide
  • Titanium