Abstract
The spray pyrolysis technique is a versatile and cost-effective method for producing TiO2–NiO@In2O3 NCTFs on glass substrates with varying molar ratios. NCTFs have been studied for gas sensing applications due to their excellent sensing properties. The films' structural, morphological, and gas sensing characteristics were analyzed. The XRD analysis indicates that the NCTFs are polycrystalline, meaning that they are made up of many small crystals. The crystals are oriented in a random fashion, which is why the XRD pattern is broad. The anatase phase of TiO2 is a tetragonal crystal structure. The NiO and In2O3 phases are both cubic crystal structures. The presence of nanostructure cubic phases indicates that the nanoparticles in the films are small enough to significantly affect the crystal structure of the films. Scanning electron microscopy images showed surface homogeneity, with small granular grains of nanostructures without any cracks. The gas sensor created using the prepared samples showed high sensitivity to NO2 and H2S gases, and its sensitivity was measured at different operation temperatures, along with response and recovery times. The optical properties of In2O3 are affected by the addition of TiO2 and NiO impurities. The transmittance of In2O3 increases as the NiO ratio increases and the TiO2 ratio decreases.
Similar content being viewed by others
Explore related subjects
Discover the latest articles, news and stories from top researchers in related subjects.Data availability
All authors contributed that there is no associated data, or the data will be not deposited. Data sharing is not applicable to this article as no datasets were generated or analyzed during the current study.
Code availability
All authors contributed that there is no associated data, or the data will be not deposited. Data sharing is not applicable to this article as no datasets were generated or analyzed during the current study.
References
Azpiroz R, Carretero E, Cueva A, González A, Iglesias M, Pérez-Torrente JJ (2022) In-flow photocatalytic oxidation of NO on glasses coated with nanocolumnar porous TiO2 thin films prepared by reactive sputtering. Appl Surf Sci. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apsusc.2022.154968
Kaur M et al (2008) Room-temperature H2S gas sensing at ppb level by single crystal In2O3 whiskers. Sens Actuators, B Chem 133:456–461. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.snb.2008.03.003
Chou J (1999) Gas sensor calibration definition, hazard. Gas Monit A Pract Guid to Sel Oper Appl (1999) 161–173.
Rajeh S et al (2022) Physical investigations on Ni doping ZnO thin films along with ethanol response. J Mater Sci Mater Electron 33:17513–17521. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10854-022-08610-1
Feng W, Yang X, He Z, Liu M (2021) Hydrogen sulfide gas sensor based on TiO2–ZnO composite sensing membrane-coated no-core fiber. J Phys D Appl Phys. https://doi.org/10.1088/1361-6463/abd503
Katti VR et al (2003) Mechanism of drifts in H2S sensing properties of SnO2: CuO composite thin film sensors prepared by thermal evaporation. Sens Actuators, B Chem 96(1–2):245–252. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0925-4005(03)00532-X
Ionescu R, Hoel A, Granqvist CG, Llobet E, Heszler P (2005) Low-level detection of ethanol and H2S with temperature- modulated WO3 nanoparticle gas sensors. Sens Actuators, B Chem 104:132–139. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.snb.2004.05.015
Chang J, Deng Z, Fang X, Hu C, Shi L, Dai T, Li M, Wang S, Meng G (2021) Heterostructural (Sr0.6Bi0.305)2Bi2O7/ZnO for novel high-performance H2S sensor operating at low temperature. J Hazard Mater 414:125500. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhazmat.2021.125500
Chizhov A, Rumyantseva M, Gaskov A (2021) Light activation of nanocrystalline metal oxides for gas sensing: principles, achievements, challenges. Nanomaterials 11:892. https://doi.org/10.3390/nano11040892
Zhang S, Zhao LJ, Huang BY, Li XG (2020) UV-activated formaldehyde sensing properties of hollow TiO2@SnO2 heterojunctions at room temperature. Sens Actuators B Chem 319:128264. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.snb.2020.128264
Zhao SK, Shen YB, Zhou PF, Hao FL, Xu XY, Gao SL, Wei DZ, Ao YX, Shen YS (2020) Enhanced NO2 sensing performance of ZnO nanowires functionalized with ultra-fine In2O3 nanoparticles. Sens Actuators B Chem 308:127729. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.snb.2020.127729
Zhang S, Sun SP, Huang BY, Wang N, Li XG (2023) UV-enhanced formaldehyde sensor using hollow In2O3@TiO2 double-layer nanospheres at room temperature. ACS Appl Mater Inter 15:4329–4342. https://doi.org/10.1021/acsami.2c19722
Ibupoto Z, Abbasi MA, Liu X, Alsalhi MS, Willander M (2014) the synthesis of NiO/TiO2 heterostructures and their valence band offset determination. J Nanomater 2014:928658. https://doi.org/10.1155/2014/
Nikolic MV, Milovanovic V, Vasiljevic ZZ, Stamenkovic Z (2020) Semiconductor gas sensors: materials, technology, design, and application. Sensors 20:6694. https://doi.org/10.3390/s20226694
Luo Y, An B, Bai J, Wang Y, Cheng X, Wang Q et al (2021) Ultrahigh response hydrogen sensor based on PdO/NiO co-doped In2O3 nanotubes. J Colloid Interf Sci 599:533–542. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jcis.2021.04.125
Yang S, Yin H, Wang Z, Lei G, Xu H, Lan Z, Gu H (2023) Gas sensing performance of In2O3 nanostructures: a mini review. Front Chem 11:1174207. https://doi.org/10.3389/fchem.2023.1174207
Zhang S, Huang B, Jiang Z, Qian J, Cao J, Feng Q, Zhang J, Li X (2023) UV-activated Au modified tio2/In2o3 hollow nanospheres for formaldehyde detection at room temperature. Mater 16:4010. https://doi.org/10.3390/ma16114010
Saruhan B, Lontio Fomekong R, Nahirniak S (2021) Influences of semiconductor metal oxide properties on gas sensing characteristics. Front Sens 2:1–24. https://doi.org/10.3389/fsens.2021.657931
Kampitakis V, Gagaoudakis E, Zappa D, Comini E, Aperathitis E, Kostopoulos A, Kiriakidis G, Binas V (2020) highly sensitive and selective NO2 chemical sensors based on Al doped NiO thin films. Mater Sci Semicond Process 115:105149. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mssp.2020.105149
Chaudhari GN, Bambole DR, Bodade AB, Padole PR (2006) Characterization of nanosized TiO2 based H2S gas sensor. J Mater Sci 41:4860–4864. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10853-006-0042-7
Eranna G, Joshi B, Runthala D, Gupta R (2004) Oxide materials for development of integrated gas sensors, a comprehensive review. Crit Rev Solid State Mater Sci 29:111–188. https://doi.org/10.1080/10408430490888977
Petrov VV, Ivanishcheva AP, Volkova MG, Storozhenko VY, Gulyaeva IA, Pankov IV, Volochaev VA, Khubezhov SA, Bayan EM (2022) High gas sensitivity to nitrogen dioxide of nanocomposite zno-sno2 films activated by a surface electric field. Nanomaterials 12:2025. https://doi.org/10.3390/nano12122025
Zhang R, Deng Z, Shi L, Kumar M, Chang J, Wang S, Fang X, Tong W, Meng G (2022) Pt-Anchored CuCrO2 for low-temperature-operating high-performance H2S chemiresistors. ACS Appl Mater Interfaces 14:24536–24545. https://doi.org/10.1021/acsami.2c00619
Patil GE, Kajale DD, Chavan DN, Pawar NK, Ahire PT, Shinde SD, Gaikwad VB, Jain GH (2011) Synthesis, characterization, and gas sensing performance of SnO2 thin films prepared by spray pyrolysis. Bull Mater Sci 34:1–9. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12034-011-0045-0
R. W. G. (1963). Crystal Structures 1, 2nd edn. Interscience Publishers, New York, p 239–444.
Leineweber A, Jacobs H, Hull S (2001) Ordering of nitrogen in nickel nitride Ni3N determined by neutron diffraction. Inorg Chem 40:5818–5822
Haunsbhavi K et al (2021) Pseudo n-type behaviour of nickel oxide thin film at room temperature towards ammonia sensing. Ceram Int 47:13693–13703. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ceramint.2021.01.230
Zheng ZQ, Zhu LF, Wang B (2015) In2O3 Nanotower hydrogen gas sensors based on both schottky junction and thermoelectronic emission. Nanoscale Res Lett 10:1–14. https://doi.org/10.1186/s11671-015-1002-4
Malekkiani M, Magham AHJ, Ravari F, Dadmehr M (2022) Facile fabrication of ternary MWCNTs/ZnO/Chitosan nanocomposite for enhanced photocatalytic degradation of methylene blue and antibacterial activity. Sci Rep 8:5927. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-022-09571-5
Nasiri S, Rabiei M, Palevicius A, Janusas G, Vilkauskas A, Nutalapati V, Monshi A (2023) Modified Scherrer equation to calculate crystal size by XRD with high accuracy, examples Fe2O3, TiO2 and V2O5. Nano Trends 3:100015. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nwnano.2023.100015
Lee S, Choi S, Park SH, Cho SH, Sohn W, Eom TH, Kim Y, Jang HW (2023) Synthesis-in-place hydrothermal growth of hematite nanorods on patterned substrate for highly sensitive and rapid acetone detection. Sens Actuators, B Chem 395:134519. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.snb.2023.134519
Nurpeissova A, Choi MH, Kim JS, Myung ST, Kim SS, Sun YK (2015) Effect of titanium addition as nickel oxide formation inhibitor in nickel-rich cathode material for lithium-ion batteries. J Power Sources 299:425–433. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jpowsour.2015.09.016
Shankar P, Bosco J, Rayappan B (2015) Gas sensing mechanism of metal oxides: the role of ambient atmosphere, type of semiconductor and gases- a review. Sci Lett J 4:126
Tian J, Jiang H, Zhao X, Shi G, Dai Y, Deng X, Xie H, Zhang W (2022) Hydrogen sensor with ppb-level detection limit prepared by Pd-modified and Bi-doped oxidized Ni foam. Sens Actuators, B Chem 366:131981. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.snb.2022.131981
Salunkhe RR, Shinde Sensors VR, Lokhande D (2008) Liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) sensing properties of nanocrystalline CdO thin films prepared by chemical route: effect of molarities of precursor solution. Sens Actuators, B Chem 133:296–301. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.snb.2008.02.024
Ansari ZA, Ko TG, Oh J-H (2005) CO-sensing properties of In2O3-doped SnO2 thick-film sensors: effect of doping concentration and grain size. IEEE Sens J. https://doi.org/10.1109/JSEN.2005.854485
Khudher HH, Abd JA (2021) Variation resistance of different operation temperature of NO2 and NH3 gases for the Ag-doped SiC gas sensor. J Phys Conf Ser 1973:012140. https://doi.org/10.1088/1742-6596/1973/1/012140
Tahir M, Tahir B, Amin NAS, Muhammad A (2016) Photocatalytic CO2 methanation over NiO/In2O3 promoted TiO2 nanocatalysts using H2O and/or H2 reductants. Energy Convers Manage 119:368–378. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.enconman.2016.04.057
Essalhi Z, Hartiti B, Lfakir A, Siadat M, Thevenin P (2016) Optical properties of TiO2 Thin films prepared by Sol Gel method. J Mater Environ Sci 7(4):1328–1333
Tahir M, Amin NAS (2015) Performance analysis of nanostructured NiO-In2O3/TiO2 catalyst for CO2 photoreduction with H2 in a monolith photoreactor. Chem Eng J 285:635–649. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cej.2015.10.033
Uddin MdT, Nicolas Y, Olivier C, Jaegermann W, Rockstroh N, Junge H, Toupance T (2017) Band alignment investigations of heterostructure NiO/TiO2 nanomaterials used as efficient heterojunction earth-abundant metal oxide photocatalysts for hydrogen production. Phys Chem Chem Phys 19(29):19279–19288. https://doi.org/10.1039/c7cp01300k
Yao N, Huang J, Fu K, Deng X, Ding M, Zhang S, Xu X, Li L (2016) reduced interfacial recombination in dye-sensitized solar cells assisted with NiO: Eu3+, Tb3+ coated TiO2 film. Sci Rep 6:31123. https://doi.org/10.1038/srep31123
Acknowledgements
The authors extend their awareness to the Deanship of Scientific Research at King Khalid University, Saudi Arabia, for funding this work through small group Research Project under grant number RGP1/142/44.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Contributions
MASA, FTI, SG, WJ, and AB lead conceptualization, investigation, methodology, project administration, validation, and visualization, as well as writing–the original draft and – reviewing and editing the work. MASA and FTI contributed to data curation, formal analysis, and supervision of the presented study. AB, WJ, FTI, and SG contributed to data curation, formal analysis, investigation, methodology, project admi lead funding acquisition, and supervision, and provided the resources for carrying out this study. Further, AB contributed to the conceptualization, investigation, methodology, and project administration of this work. All author's construction, validation, visualization, and writing–the original draft of this manuscript. SG, AB, and WJ contributed to data curation, formal analysis, validation, writing–the original draft, and visualization of this work. SG contributed to data curation, validation, and writing–the original draft of the presented work. AB contributed to the writing–review, and editing of the presented work.
Corresponding author
Ethics declarations
Conflict of interest
The authors declare that there is no conflict of interest.
Ethical approval
All the authors declare that the manuscript does not have studies on human subjects, human data or tissue, or animals.
Additional information
Handling Editor: Andréa de Camargo.
Publisher's Note
Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.
Rights and permissions
Springer Nature or its licensor (e.g. a society or other partner) holds exclusive rights to this article under a publishing agreement with the author(s) or other rightsholder(s); author self-archiving of the accepted manuscript version of this article is solely governed by the terms of such publishing agreement and applicable law.
About this article
Cite this article
Alborisha, M.A.S., Ibrahim, F.T., Jilani, W. et al. Investigations on TiO2–NiO@In2O3 nanocomposite thin films (NCTFs) for gas sensing: synthesis, physical characterization, and detection of NO2 and H2S gas sensors. J Mater Sci 59, 3451–3466 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10853-024-09376-z
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10853-024-09376-z