CuO-In 2 O 3Core-Shell Nanowire Based Chemical Gas Sensors

Abstract EN

The CuO-In2O3 core-shell nanowire was fabricated by a two-step method.

The CuO nanowire core (NWs) was firstly grown by the conventional thermal oxidation of Cu meshes at 500°C for 5 hours.

Then, the CuO nanowires were immersed into the suspension of amorphous indium hydroxide deposited from the In(AC)3 solution by ammonia.

The CuO nanowires coated with In(OH)3 were subsequently heated at 600°C to form the crystalline CuO-In2O3 core-shell structure, with In2O3 nanocrystals uniformly anchored on the CuO nanowires.

The gas sensing properties of the formed CuO-In2O3 core-shell nanowires were investigated by various reducing gases such as hydrogen, carbon monoxide, and propane at elevated temperature.

The sensors using the CuO-In2O3 nanowires show improved sensing performance to hydrogen and propane but a suppressed response to carbon monoxide, which could be attributed to the enhanced catalytic properties of CuO with the coated porous In2O3 shell and the p-n junction formed at the core-shell interface.