Realization of Interlinked ZnO Tetrapod Networks for UV Sensor and Room-Temperature Gas Sensor

Abstract

Here, interlinked ZnO tetrapod networks (ITN-ZnO) have been realized by using microwave-assisted thermal oxidation. With this simple and fast process, a nanostructured ZnO morphology having tetrapodlike features with leg-to-leg linking is obtained. The electrical and ethanol-sensing properties related to the morphology of ITN-ZnO compared with those of other ZnO morphologies have also been investigated. It has been found that ITN-ZnO unexpectedly exhibits superior electrical and gas-sensing properties in terms of providing pathways for electron transport to the electrode. A UV sensor and a room-temperature gas sensor with improved performance are achieved. Therefore, ITN-ZnO is an attractive morphology of ZnO that is applicable for many new applications because of its novel properties. The novel properties of ITN-ZnO are beneficial for electronic, photonic, optoelectronic, and sensing applications. ITN-ZnO may provide a means to improve the devices based on ITN-ZnO.

Size‐Independent and Ultrahigh CO Gas Sensor Based on TiO2 Modified ZnO Tetrapods

“…Ahn et al reported that acetone sensing response of ZnO nanorods can be enhanced by promoting UV activation which is attributed to the association of the weakly bound photo‐induced oxygen ions upon the presence of target gas . A similar result was reported by Thepnurat et al for ZnO‐based sensor and Trawka et al for WO 3 nanoparticle sensor . On the other hand, transition metal and metal oxide doped acting as a foreigner additive could alter the sensing properties of sensor .…”

“…An excellent room temperature ethanol sensor based on T ‐ZnO alloyed with Fe 2 O 3 micro‐ and nanoparticles was also demonstrated . A similar result was reported by our group for room temperature ethanol sensor . In addition, sensing response of T ‐ZnO sensor toward H 2 S, C 2 H 5 OH, NO 2 , and CO gases was investigated by Calestani et al The sensor exhibited a high performance under H 2 S gas and showed a very low sensing response under CO gas.…”

Regulation of Charge Carrier Dynamics in ZnO Microarchitecture‐Based UV/Visible Photodetector via Photonic‐Strain Induced Effects

“…ZnO is an inorganic II–VI semiconductor with a direct bandgap (3.37 eV) and highly accepted nanomaterial in the field of photocatalysis, batteries, solar cells, light emitting diodes (LED), photodetector (PD), piezoelectric nanogenerators, biomedical devices, optical sensors, chemical sensors, and gas sensors due to its unique intrinsic properties. Over the last decade, multishaped ZnO micro/nanostructures in the form of rods, tetrapods, brush, wires, sheet, tubes, tower, disk, spheres, fern, peanut, and flower have been produced by various synthesis strategies such as hydrothermal, sol–gel, solvothermal, ultrasonication, microwave, chemical vapor deposition, physical vapor deposition and molecular beam epitaxy, magnetron sputtering methods. Literature reports suggest that the ZnO micro/nanostructures widens our knowledge on the dependency of the device performances as a function of geometrical factors such as structural architecture, particle size, surface to volume ratio and its crystallinity.…”

Chemical Sensing Applications of ZnO Nanomaterials

“…The introduction of in provided additional electrons in the medium, which is supportive for escalating the quantity of adsorbed oxygen, guiding the high sensitivity of the sensor. The tetrapodal-like morphology with the presence of leg-to-leg linking of ZnO nanostructures was also revealed to be important in the investigation of very low concentrations of ethanol [ 86 ]. The electrical properties of ZnO nanoparticles were mainly used for the sensing of ethanol molecules.…”