Enhanced methane sensing performance of NiO decorated In2O3 nanospheres composites at low temperature

In this paper, In2O3 nanospheres and NiO nanoparticles decorated In2O3 nanospheres with enhanced methane (CH4) sensing performance were successfully synthesized via a facile solvothermal method and the subsequent calcination process. Diverse characterization technologies such as X-ray diffraction (XRD), field-emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) were employed to identify their compositions, morphologies and nanostructures. The methane sensing performances of the NiO/In2O3 nanocomposites were compared with the pure In2O3, and the results indicated that the decorating of NiO significant enhanced the sensing capability. The response value of the NiO/In2O3 nanocomposites toward 500 ppm CH4 was similar to 13.057, which was nearly 10.3 times higher than that of pure In(2)O(3 )at 120 degrees C. In addition, the optimal operating temperature of In(2)O(3 )was reduced from 180 degrees C to 120 degrees C after decorated by NiO. Meanwhile, the NiO/In2O3 nanocomposites also displayed the excellent selectivity, good repeatability and stability. This research confirmed that the promising application for CH4 detection of the NiO/In2O3 nanocomposites. (C) 2020 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Automated summary

In this study, In2O3 nanospheres and NiO nanoparticles decorated In2O3 nanospheres were successfully synthesized for enhanced methane sensing performance. Various characterization techniques were employed to identify their compositions, morphologies, and nanostructures. The results showed that the decorating of NiO significantly enhanced the sensing capability, reduced the optimal operating temperature, and exhibited excellent selectivity, repeatability, and stability.