Enhanced ethanol gas sensing performance of Ni-doped In₂O₃ nanostructures: structural and optical insights
摘要
This study investigates the synthesis, characterization, and gas sensing properties of nickel (Ni)-doped indium oxide (In₂O₃) nanostructures for ethanol detection. The nanostructures were synthesized via a sonochemical method, followed by calcination at 400 °C. X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis confirmed the cubic crystal structure of In₂O₃. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) revealed spherical nanoparticles (NPs) with increased size upon doping, which is consistent with XRD results. Photoluminescence (PL) and Raman spectroscopy revealed enhanced emission intensity and red shifts in doped samples, attributed to oxygen vacancies and band gap modifications. Gas sensing measurements revealed that Ni-doped sensors exhibited better sensitivity to ethanol compared to pure In₂O₃. The optimal doping level (Ni1) sensor achieved the highest sensitivity (2.5 times that of pure In₂O₃) and the fastest response/recovery times (79 and 46 s, respectively) for 1000 ppm ethanol. In contrast, sensitivity to carbon monoxide decreased with doping, highlighting the selectivity of Ni-doped In₂O₃ for ethanol.