Er-doped ZnO nanofibers for high sensibility detection of ethanol

• Published in: Applied surface science 2015-11, Vol.356, p.73-80
• Main Authors: Sun, Yongjiao, Zhao, Zhenting, Li, Pengwei, Li, Gang, Chen, Yong, Zhang, Wendong, Hu, Jie
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Electrospinning; Er-doped ZnO; Erbium; Ethanol; Ethyl alcohol; Gas sensitivity; Nanofiber; Nanofibers; Operating temperature; Optimization; Surface chemistry; Zinc oxide
• ISSN: 0169-4332; 1873-5584
• DOI: 10.1016/j.apsusc.2015.08.057

•Er-doped ZnO nanofibers are fabricated by electrospinning.•The diameter of ZnO nanofibers decreases with the increase of Er content.•Pure and Er-doped ZnO nanofibers both exhibit an optimal sensing performance at 240°C.•The ethanol detection sensibility of 1.0at% Er-doped ZnO nanofibers is 3.7 time higher than that of pure ZnO nanofibers. Pure and Er-doped (0.5at%, 1.0at% and 2.0at%) ZnO nanofibers are fabricated by electrospinning for high sensitivity detection of ethanol. We show that the diameter of the ZnO nanofibers decreases from 200 to 70nm with the increase of Er content but the Er-doping significantly can improve the ethanol-sensing sensitivity of the ZnO nanofibers at an optimum operating temperature of 240°C. At the optimal Er content of 1.0at%, the sensitivity of the nanofibers is 3.7 times larger than that of pure ones, showing also a fast response (12s) as well as a fast system recovering (3s). Such an improvement of the sensing behavior can be attributed to the enhanced gas adsorption and fast reaction rate of Er-doped ZnO nanofibers.