Preparation and gas-sensing performance of In2O3 porous nanoplatelets

In2O3 porous nanoplatelets were successfully synthesized by solvothermal treatment of indium acetylacetonate, followed by calcination in air. X-ray diffraction and Raman spectrum measurements demonstrate that the products are pure cubic phase In2O3. Scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy analyses reveal that the In2O3 nanoplatelets bounded by {1 1 0} planes with thickness less than 6 nm and length about 20-50 nm are single crystalline but with porous structure. The optical absorption property of the In2O3 nanoplatelets was investigated by UV-vis spectroscopy, which indicates that the In2O3 nanoplatelets are semiconducting with a direct band gap of 3.1 eV. The gas sensing performance of the as-prepared In2O3 porous nanoplatelets was investigated towards a series of typical organic solvents and fuels. It was found that the In2O3 porous nanoplatelets show structure-induced enhancement of gas sensing performance, and especially possess high sensitivity and rapid response towards ethanol vapor. (C) 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.