a-Fe 2Àx Cu x O 3 (0 # x # 0.17) nanoparticles were synthesized using an improved homogenous coprecipitation method. The effects of doped Cu on crystal structure of a-Fe 2 O 3 were investigated by field emission transmission electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction and Raman spectroscopy. Owing to the substitution of Cu 2+ at the Fe 3+ sites, the lattice parameters of a-Fe 2Àx Cu x O 3 with an average particle size of $40 nm and a single corundum structure increased with increasing doped Cu concentration. The shifting of Raman peaks for a-Fe 2Àx Cu x O 3 to higher wavenumber was also observed due to the strong electron-phonon interactions and structural distortion after doping Cu. According to the conductivity measurements, doping Cu can increase the concentration of hole carriers and enhance the conductivity of the p-type a-Fe 2 O 3 semiconductor. Furthermore, CH 4 sensing characterization showed that the a-Fe 2Àx Cu x O 3 nanoparticles are sensitive and have a good selectivity to CH 4 at room temperature, and the response of the material is evidently improved by doping with Cu. The maximum response to 2000 ppm CH 4 at room temperature and 50% relative humidity was obtained when x z 0.10, meeting the common requirements in application. These results suggest that a-Fe 2Àx Cu x O 3 nanoparticles can be considered a potential candidate for methane detection at room temperature.
ExperimentalAll the chemical reagents were analytically pure without further purication. a-Fe 2Àx Cu x O 3 nanoparticles were prepared by an