Stabilizing MoS₂ Nanosheets through SnO₂ Nanocrystal Decoration for High‐Performance Gas Sensing in Air

Abstract

The unique properties of MoS(2) nanosheets make them a promising candidate for high-performance room temperature sensing. However, the properties of pristine MoS(2) nanosheets are strongly influenced by the significant adsorption of oxygen in an air environment, which leads to instability of the MoS(2) sensing device, and all sensing results on MoS(2) reported to date were exclusively obtained in an inert atmosphere. This significantly limits the practical sensor application of MoS(2) in an air environment. Herein, a novel nanohybrid of SnO(2) nanocrystal (NC)-decorated crumpled MoS(2) nanosheet (MoS(2)/SnO(2)) and its exciting air-stable property for room temperature sensing of NO(2) are reported. Interestingly, the SnO(2) NCs serve as strong p-type dopants for MoS(2), leading to p-type channels in the MoS(2) nanosheets. The SnO(2) NCs also significantly enhance the stability of MoS(2) nanosheets in dry air. As a result, unlike other MoS(2) sensors operated in an inert gas (e.g. N(2)), the nanohybrids exhibit high sensitivity, excellent selectivity, and repeatability to NO(2) under a practical dry air environment. This work suggests that NC decoration significantly tunes the properties of MoS(2) nanosheets for various applications.

Two-Dimensional Materials for Sensing: Graphene and Beyond

“…Recently, room temperature sensing of NO2 was reported using MoS2 NS decorated with SnO2 nanocrystals (MoS2/SnO2) due to the improvement in the stability of the MoS2 sheets in practical environment by functionalization with SnO2 nanocrystals. High sensitivity, good selectivity and repeatability to NO2 in practical dry air were also exhibited by this hybrid sensor, as compared to other MoS2 sensors [155].…”

Quasi-one-dimensional metal-oxide-based heterostructural gas-sensing materials: A review

“…This principle can be utilized to make a semiconductor more heavily n-or p-type and make a stronger depletion effect at interface, leading to more remarkable change in resistance. One can also fabricate quasi-1D nanostructures with multiple compounds [119] and even take the advantage of A c c e p t e d M a n u s c r i p t 27 polymers [150], carbon [151], nitrides [152] and sulfides [153] to enhance the gas-sensing performances.…”

Enhanced Gas Sensing Performance of Surface‐Activated MoS2 Nanosheets Made by Hydrothermal Method with Excess Sulfur Precursor

“…Therefore, the improved sensitivity was attributed to the formation of nano‐domains and the disappearance of amorphous regions. All samples showed complete recovery in 25 min at RT operating condition, which has rarely been reported, except for sensors with hetero‐structures . In general, MoS 2 sensors showed poor recovery when operating at RT and complete recovery above 100 °C .…”