Title: Rhodium-decorated MWCNTs for detecting organic vapours

Authors: Atef Thamri; Hamdi Baccar; Pierrick Clément; Eduard Llobet; Adnane Abdelghani

Addresses: Carthage University, Nanotechnology Laboratory, National Institute of Applied Science and Technology, Carthage University, Centre Urbain Nord, Bp676, 1080 Charguia Cedex, Tunisia ' Carthage University, Nanotechnology Laboratory, National Institute of Applied Science and Technology, Carthage University, Centre Urbain Nord, Bp676, 1080 Charguia Cedex, Tunisia ' 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 ' Carthage University, Nanotechnology Laboratory, National Institute of Applied Science and Technology, Carthage University, Centre Urbain Nord, Bp676, 1080 Charguia Cedex, Tunisia

Abstract: In this paper, we describe a new approach for the development of a vapour sensor based on carbon nanotubes decorated with rhodium nanoparticles for detecting organic compounds. The morphology of treated multiwall carbon nanotubes was studied by means of high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and the composition by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). Various aromatic and non-aromatic vapours were tested. For non-aromatic vapours, the response kinetics shows that these species are chemisorbed at the surface of carbon nanotubes. On the other hand, with aromatic vapours, the kinetics shows a physisorption behaviour. Also, the developed sensor shows lower sensitivity for non-aromatic than for aromatic vapours. The drift in sensor response remained below 10% after two months of sensor operation, which shows the high stability of the rhodium-carbon nanotubes film.

Keywords: vapour sensors; rhodium; multiwall CNTs; carbon nanotubes; MWCNTs; vapour detection; impedance spectroscopy; organic vapours; response kinetics; nanotechnology.

DOI: 10.1504/IJNT.2015.068878

International Journal of Nanotechnology, 2015 Vol.12 No.8/9, pp.562 - 571

Published online: 17 Apr 2015 *

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