Tailoring Microstructure and Composition of Composite CuO/WO3 Nanoparticle-Based Thin Films for Enhanced H2 Gas Sensing

Result code in IS VaVaI

<a href="https://www.isvavai.cz/riv?ss=detail&h=RIV%2F49777513%3A23520%2F25%3A43976157" target="_blank" >RIV/49777513:23520/25:43976157 - isvavai.cz</a>

Alternative codes found

RIV/49777513:23640/25:43976157

Result on the web

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DOI - Digital Object Identifier

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Result language

angličtina

Original language name

Tailoring Microstructure and Composition of Composite CuO/WO3 Nanoparticle-Based Thin Films for Enhanced H2 Gas Sensing

Original language description

The conductometric gas sensors operate by modulating the electrical conductivity of the sensing material through adsorption-desorption reactions between the target gas and the sensor surface. Metal oxide semiconductors (MOS) are conductometric materials highly sensitive to oxidizing and reducing gases. In addition, composite MOS-based materials may further benefit from formed heterojunctions potentially significantly improving the sensitivity. Our focus is to develop advanced hydrogen-gas sensing materials composed of a mixture of p-type CuO and n-type WO3 nanoparticles (NPs) with optimized microstructure of the film and volumetric ratio of CuO to WO3 NPs in the film for enhanced H2 gas sensing.The NP-based thin films were synthesized using a magnetron-based gas aggregation source in Ar+O2 gas mixture. First, effect of thermal annealing on the microstructure (i.e., NPs diameter, formed necks, porosity) of the films was studied since gas sensing materials are usually operated at elevated temperatures (up to 400 °C). The CuO, WO3 and their composite (1:1 volumetric ratio) samples were annealed at temperatures in the range 200–400 °C in synthetic air and subsequently thoroughly investigated using various characterisation techniques such as SEM, XRD, XPS, and Raman spectroscopy. Significant changes in particle size were observed in the case of CuO-based material, while WO3-based and composite materials exhibited minor microstructural changes, even at elevated temperatures. Notably, at 400 °C, the composite crystallized into a novel phase. Second, the volumetric ratio of CuO to WO3 NPs in the films was optimized to maximize the response of the material. We demonstrate that a synergetic effect is reached when an optimum number of p–n heterojunctions is established in the material providing enhanced response of the composite film compared to the films formed by single-material NPs.This study highlights the crucial role of thermal treatment in influencing NP microstructure, offering insights into stabilizing and tuning NP-based thin films for enhanced gas sensing. Additionally, the optimized ratio of CuO and WO3 NPs within the composite improved H2 sensing performance by promoting optimal p–n heterojunction formation, demonstrating that precise compositional control can significantly boost the sensitivity of nanostructured systems.

Czech name

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Czech description

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Type

O - Miscellaneous

CEP classification

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OECD FORD branch

20506 - Coating and films

Project

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Continuities

S - Specificky vyzkum na vysokych skolach

Publication year

2025

Confidentiality

S - Úplné a pravdivé údaje o projektu nepodléhají ochraně podle zvláštních právních předpisů