Hydrothermal synthesis of ZnO-Eu2O3 binary oxide with straight strips morphology and sensitivity to NO2 gas

ZnO-x%Eu2O3 (x=5 wt.%) binary oxide with straight strips morphology was successfully synthesized by hydrothermal route, using cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) as template ZnSO4. Eu(NO3)(3)center dot 5H(2)O as inorganic precursors and ammonium hydroxide solution 28% NH3 for adjusting the pH to 11 value. The morphology, structure, photoluminescence and surface chemistry were investigated. The results highlighted that ZnO-Eu2O3 binary oxide shows straight strip morphology and crystalline framework indexed to wurtzite ZnO while Eu2O3 was detected as secondary phase. Surface chemistry revealed the presence of Eu3+. High sensor signal to 3 ppm NO2 together with its low sensitivity towards CO recommend this material as a good candidate in selective detection of NO2. (C) 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.