A selective NH3 gas sensor based on (Ag2O)1-x(SnO2)x nanocomposites thin films at various operating temperatures
Main Article Content
Abstract
The pulsed laser deposition (PLD) technique was used to prepare the (Ag2O)1-x(SnO2)x nanocomposite thin films with different ratios of x=0, 0.2 and 0.4wt and deposited on glass substrates. The films were subsequently annealed in the air for two hours at 300 °C. The (Ag2O)1-x(SnO2)x nanocomposite was confirmed to have formed by the x-ray diffraction (XRD) investigation. According to field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), the created (Ag2O)1-x(SnO2)x particles were spherical in shape. Energy Dispersive X-Ray Analysis (EDX) is used to confirm the elements in composite films. Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM) analysis shows that the produced films had grains size between 37.68 - 49.57nm and root mean square (RMS) roughness of 4.92-8.22nm. The prepared films have a direct energy gap between 2.06 and 3.36 eV, according to UV-visible (UV-Vis) spectrometer data. The films have been tested for NH3 sensing under various operating temperatures. The observed variations in the gas sensing response's thin film resistance are suggestive of either n-type or p-type conductivity. When reducing gas is present, the resistance of (Ag2O)1-x(SnO2)x films increases when x=0, 0.2wt , indicating that the films are p-type, however, the thin film exhibits the reverse behavior at x=0.4wt, indicating that it is n-type. Additionally, all films produced showed a significant sensitivity to NH3 gas at 95 ppm concentration. The Ag2O thin film had a sensitivity of 50.5% at an operating temperature of 200°C with response and recovery times of 22.5 and 39.6 seconds, respectively. Furthermore, composite thin films showed greater sensitivity than pure silver oxide thin films.
Received 26/11/2022
Revised 27/03/2023
Accepted 29/03/2023
Published Online First 20/09/2023
Article Details
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
How to Cite
References
Wang S-Y, Ma J-Y, Li Z-J, Su H, Alkurd N, Zhou W-L, et al. Surface acoustic wave ammonia sensor based on ZnO/SiO2 composite film. J Hazard Mater. 2015; 285: 368-74. https://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jhazmat.2014.12.014
Wang T, Lu G, editors. Demonstrating the impact of Band Gap Modilation on Semiconductor Metal Oxide Gas-sensing Performance. ECS Meeting Abstracts; 2021; 63: 63. IOP publishing https://dx.doi.org/10.1149/MA2021-01631693mtgabs
Nakarungsee P, Srirattanapibul S, Issro C, Tang I-M, Thongmee S. High performance Cr doped ZnO by UV for NH3 gas sensor. Sens Actuator A Phys. 2020; 314: 112230. https://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.sna.2020.112230
Li P, Wang B, Qin C, Han C, Sun L, Wang Y. Band-gap-tunable CeO2 nanoparticles for room-temperature NH3 gas sensors. Ceram Int. 2020; 46(11): 19232-40. https://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.ceramint.2020.04.261
Liu H, Shen W, Chen X, Corriou J-P. A high-performance NH3 gas sensor based on TiO2 quantum dot clusters with ppb level detection limit at room temperature. J Mater Sci: Mater Electron. 2018; 29(21): 18380-7. https://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10854-018-9952-9
Kulkarni S, Navale Y, Navale S, Stadler F, Ramgir N, Patil V. Hybrid polyaniline-WO3 flexible sensor: a room temperature competence towards NH3 gas. Sens. Actuators B Chem. 2019; 288: 279-88. https://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.snb.2019.02.094
Kareem MM, Kadem BY, Mohammad EJ, Atiyah AJ. Synthesis, Characterization and Gas Sensor Application of New Composite Based on MWCNTs: CoPc: Metal Oxide. Baghdad Sci J. 2021; 18(2): 384. https://dx.doi.org/10.21123/bsj.2021.18.2.0384
Bhanjana G, Chaudhary GR, Dilbaghi N, Chauhan M, Kim K-H, Kumar S. Novel electrochemical sensor for mononitrotoluenes using silver oxide quantum dots. Electrochim Acta. 2019; 293: 283-9. https://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.electacta.2018.10.042
Rahman MM, Khan SB, Jamal A, Faisal M, Asiri AM. Highly sensitive methanol chemical sensor based on undoped silver oxide nanoparticles prepared by a solution method. Microchim Acta. 2012; 178(1): 99-106. https://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s00604-012-0817-2
Murray B, Li Q, Newberg J, Hemminger J, Penner R. Silver oxide microwires: electrodeposition and observation of reversible resistance modulation upon exposure to ammonia vapor. Chem Mater. 2005; 17(26): 6611-8. https://dx.doi.org/10.1021/cm051647r
Jamal RK, Ali FH, Hameed MM, Aadim KA. Designing A zener diode using Ag2O (1-X) Zno (X)/Psi structures deposited by laser induced plasma technique. Iraqi J Sci. 2020: 61(5): 1032-9. https://dx.doi.org/10.24996/ijs.2020.61.5.12
Ida Y, Watase S, Shinagawa T, Watanabe M, Chigane M, Inaba M, et al. Direct electrodeposition of 1.46 eV bandgap silver (I) oxide semiconductor films by electrogenerated acid. Chem Mater. 2008; 20(4): 1254-6 https://dx.doi.org/10.1021/cm702865r
Saroja G, Vasu V, Nagarani N. Optical Studies of Ag2O thin film prepared by electron beam evaporation method. Open J Met. 2013; 3(4): 7. https://dx.doi.org/10.4236/ojmetal.2013.34009 .
De AK, Sinha I. Synergistic effect of Ni doping and oxygen vacancies on the visible light photocatalytic properties of Ag2O nanoparticles. J Phys Chem Solids. 2022; 167: 110733. https://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jpcs.2022.110733
Alwan AM, Yousif AA, Abed HR, editors. High sensitivity and fast response at the room temperature of SnO2: CuO/PSi nanostructures sandwich configuration NH3 gas sensor. AIP Conf Proc. 2019; 2190(1): 020086. https://dx.doi.org/10.1063/1.5138572
Shaker DS, Abass NK, Ulwall RA. Preparation and study of the Structural, Morphological and Optical properties of pure Tin Oxide Nanoparticle doped with Cu. Baghdad Sci J. 2022; 19(3): 0660-. https://dx.doi.org/10.21123/bsj.2022.19.3.0660
Al-Jumaili HS, editor NO2 gas sensor properties of In2O3-CuO Nanocomposite thin films prepared by chemical spray pyrolysis. IOP Conf Ser: Mater Sci Eng; 2021: 1095(1): 012008 https://dx.doi.org/10.1088/1757-899X/1095/1/012008
Liang Y-C, Liu Y-C. Design of nanoscaled surface morphology of TiO2–Ag2O composite nanorods through sputtering decoration process and their low-concentration NO2 gas-sensing behaviors. Nanomaterials. 2019; 9(8): 1150. https://dx.doi.org/10.3390/nano9081150
Rezaei K, Nasirian S. A low-level acetone gas sensor based on n-type ZnO/p-type CuO composite nanostructure for the diagnosis of diabetes in dynamic situations. J Mater Sci: Mater Electron. 2021; 32(4): 5199-214. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10854-021-05251-8
Yang T, Yang Q, Xiao Y, Sun P, Wang Z, Gao Y, et al. A pulse-driven sensor based on ordered mesoporous Ag2O/SnO2 with improved H2S-sensing performance. Sens Actuators B Chem. 2016; 228: 529-38. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.snb.2016.01.065
Rizi VS, Sharifianjazi F, Jafarikhorami H, Parvin N, Fard LS, Irani M, et al. Sol–gel derived SnO2/Ag2O ceramic nanocomposite for H2 gas sensing applications. Mater Res Express. 2019; 6(11): 1150g2 https://dx.doi.org/10.1088/2053-1591/ab511e .
Liang YC, Hsu Y W. Design of thin-film configuration of SnO2-Ag2O composites for NO2 gas-sensing applications. Nanotechnol Rev. 2022; 11(1): n1842-53. https://dx.doi.org/10.1515/ntrev-2022-0111
Hu X, Zhu Q, Wang X, Kawazoe N, Yang Y. Nonmetal-metal-semiconductor-promoted P/Ag/Ag2O/Ag 3 PO 4/TiO2 photocatalyst with superior photocatalytic activity and stability. J Mater Chem A. 2015; 3(34): 17858-65. https://dx.doi.org/10.1039/C5TA05153C
Agasti S, Dewasi A, Mitra A, editors. Structural and optical properties of pulse laser deposited Ag2O thin films. AIP Conf Proc; 2018; 1953(1): 060001. https://dx.doi.org/10.1063/1.5032732
Amutha T, Rameshbabu M, Muthupandi S, Prabha K. Theoretical comparison of lattice parameter and particle size determination of pure tin oxide nanoparticles from powder X-ray diffraction. Mater Today Proc. 2022; 49: 2624-7. https://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.matpr.2021.08.044
Ambardekar V, Bandyopadhyay PP, Majumder SB. Hydrogen sensing performance of atmospheric plasma sprayed tin dioxide coating. Int J Hydrog Energy. 2019; 44(26): 14092-104. https://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.ijhydene.2019.04.013
Abdelghany A, Abdelrazek E, Rashad D. Impact of in situ preparation of CdS filled PVP nano-composite. Spectrochim Acta A: Mol Biomol. 2014; 130: 302-8. https://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.saa.2014.04.049
Sharma A, Tomar M, Gupta V. SnO2 thin film sensor with enhanced response for NO2 gas at lower temperatures. Sens Actuators B Chem. 2011; 156(2): 743-52 https://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.snb.2011.02.033 .
Sonker RK, Sharma A, Shahabuddin M, Tomar M, Gupta V. Low temperature sensing of NO2 gas using SnO2-ZnO nanocomposite sensor. Adv Mater Lett. 2013; 4: 196-201. https://dx.doi.org/10.5185/amlett.2012.7390
Singh PK, Bishwakarma H, Das AK. Study of annealing effects on Ag2O nanoparticles generated by electrochemical spark process J Electron. Mater. 2017; 46(10): 5715-27. https://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s11664-017-5614-6
Abbas HH, Hasan BA. The Effect of Silver Oxide on the Structural and Optical Properties of ZnO: AgO Thin Films. Iraqi J Sci. 2022: 1526-39. https://dx.doi.org/10.24996/ijs.2022.63.4.13
Jamal RK, Mutlak FA, Ibrahim FT, Nayef UM. Synthesis of Ag2O films by pulsed laser deposited on porous silicon as gas sensor application. Optik. 2020; 218: 164971. https://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.ijleo.2020.164971
Rivers S, Bernhardt G, Wright M, Frankel D, Steeves M, Lad R. Structure, conductivity, and optical absorption of Ag2− xO films. Thin Solid Films. 2007; 515(24):8684-8. https://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.tsf.2007.03.139
Wisitsoraat A, Tuantranont A, Comini E, Sberveglieri G, Wlodarski W. Characterization of n-type and p-type semiconductor gas sensors based on NiOx doped TiO2 thin films. Thin Solid Films. 2009; 517(8): 2775-80.
Eranna G. Metal oxide nanostructures as gas sensing devices:CRC press; 2011. https://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.tsf.2008.10.090
Pravarthana D, Tyagi A, Jagadale T, Prellier W, Aswal D. Highly sensitive and selective H2S gas sensor based on TiO2 thin films. Appl Surf Sci. 2021; 549: 149281. https://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.apsusc.2021.149281