No abstract

No abstract

Resistive-based gas sensors have been considered as the most favorable gas sensors for detection of toxic gases and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) because of their simple structure, low cost, high sensitivity, ease of use, and high stability. Unfortunately, wide application of resistive-based gas sensors is limited by their low selectivity. In this article, we present the fabrication of ultrahigh selective NH3 gas sensor based on tin–titanium dioxide/reduced graphene/carbon nanotube (Sn–TiO2@rGO/CNT) nanocomposites. The Sn–TiO2@rGO/CNT nanocomposites with different molar ratios of Sn/Ti (1:10, 3:10, and 5:10) were synthesized via the solvothermal method. Characterizations by scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy confirmed the decoration of Sn–TiO2 nanoparticles on rGO/CNT nanocomposite surfaces. The Sn–TiO2@rGO/CNT nanocomposite gas sensor exhibited high response and ultrahigh selectivity to NH3 against toluene, dimethylformamide, acetone, ethanol, methanol, isopropanol, formaldehyde, hydrogen, carbon dioxide, acetylene, and VOCs in paint thinners at room temperature. The Sn–TiO2@rGO/CNT nanocomposite gas sensor with molar ratio of Sn/Ti = 1:10 showed the highest response to NH3 over other molar ratios of Sn/Ti as well as pure rGO/CNT and Sn–TiO2 gas sensors. The ammonia-sensing mechanisms of the Sn–TiO2@rGO/CNT gas sensor were proposed based on the formation of p–n heterojunctions of p-type rGO/CNT and n-type Sn–TiO2 nanoparticles via a low-temperature oxidizing reaction process.

No abstract

No abstract

No abstract

No abstract

Geometric and electronic properties of 3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene (EDOT), styrene sulfonate (SS), and EDOT: SS oligomers up to 10 repeating units were studied by the self-consistent charge density functional tight-binding (SCC-DFTB) method. An application of PEDOT:PSS for ammonia (NH3) detection was highlighted and investigated both experimentally and theoretically. The results showed an important role of H-bonds in EDOT:SS oligomers complex conformation. Electrical conductivity of EDOT increased with increasing oligomers and doping SS due to enhancement of π conjugation. Printed PEDOT:PSS gas sensor exhibited relatively high response and selectivity to NH3. The SCC-DFTB calculation suggested domination of direct charge transfer process in changing of PEDOT:PSS conductivity upon NH3 exposure at room temperature. The NH3 molecules preferred to bind with PEDOT:PSS via physisorption. The most favorable adsorption site for PEDOT:PSS-NH3 interaction was found to be at the nitrogen atom of NH3 and hydrogen atoms of SS with an average optimal binding distance of 2.00 Å.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s11671-017-1878-2) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.