Title: AA-CVD growth and ethanol sensing properties of pure and metal decorated WO₃ nanoneedles

Authors: F.E. Annanouch; T. Stoycheva; S. Vallejos; C. Blackman; X. Correig; E. Llobet

Addresses: MINOS-EMaS, Universitat Rovira i Virgili, Avda. Països Catalans, 26, 43007 Tarragona, Spain ' MINOS-EMaS, Universitat Rovira i Virgili, Avda. Països Catalans, 26, 43007 Tarragona, Spain ' Department of Chemistry, University College London, 20 Gordon Street, London, WC1H 0AJ, UK ' Department of Chemistry, University College London, 20 Gordon Street, London, WC1H 0AJ, UK ' MINOS-EMaS, Universitat Rovira i Virgili, Avda. Països Catalans, 26, 43007 Tarragona, Spain ' MINOS-EMaS, Universitat Rovira i Virgili, Avda. Països Catalans, 26, 43007 Tarragona, Spain

Abstract: This paper reports the co-deposition, in a single step, of metal nanoparticles and tungsten oxide nanoneedles by aerosol-assisted chemical vapour deposition. The method leads to the growth of WO₃ nanoneedles decorated with copper, gold or platinum metal nanoparticles, respectively. Scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy and energy-dispersive X-ray analysis have been used to investigate the morphology and composition of the different nanostructures grown on Al₂O₃ substrates. Gas sensors employing the different nanostructures have been fabricated and a preliminary characterisation of their sensing properties to ethanol vapours is shown. Our nanomaterials behave as n-type semiconductors in the presence of ethanol, and those decorated with metal nanoparticles show high stability, high reproducibility, high response and rapid detection of ethanol vapours at moderate operating temperatures (i.e. 250°C).

Keywords: aerosols; CVD; chemical vapour deposition; metal oxide nanoneedles; metal nanoparticles; tungsten oxide; gas sensors; nanotechnology; nanostructures; nanomaterials; n-type semiconductors; ethanol.

DOI: 10.1504/IJNT.2013.053516

International Journal of Nanotechnology, 2013 Vol.10 No.5/6/7, pp.455 - 469

Published online: 27 Apr 2013 *

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