Electrospinning preparation and room temperature gas sensing properties of porous In2O3 nanotubes and nanowires

Porous In2O3 nanotubes (NTs) and nanowires (NWs) in cubic phase were fabricated via electrospinning and characterized by scan electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and N-2 adsorption experiments. The NTs had an average outer diameter of similar to 80 nm and wall thickness of similar to 15 nm, while the NWs had a diameter of similar to 120 nm. The gas sensing properties of the prepared NTs/NWs were measured for H2S. The results demonstrate that the sensors had optimum and high responses to H2S at room temperature in dilute 1-100 ppm concentration range. They also display excellent selectivity, anti-interference and stability. The gas sensing mechanism at room temperature was attributed to the sulfuration of In2O3. The present electrospun In2O3 NTs/NWs have demonstrated the potential applied for H2S gas detection under room temperature. (C) 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.