Temperature-Based Selective Detection of Hydrogen Sulfide and Ethanol with MoS2/WO3 Composite

A sensitive and temperature-based selective sensor toward hydrogen sulfide and ethanol using MoS2/WO3 composite as a sensing surface was developed in this work. The MoS2/WO3 nanocomposite was successfully obtained using a facile two-step method. Structural analysis revealed the successful formation of the composite. Further, the n-type semiconducting nature as revealed in the initial gas sensing measurements was also confirmed via Mott-Schottky plots. The composite-based sensor showed preferential detection of ethanol (260 degrees C) and hydrogen sulfide (320 degrees C) by simply modulating the temperature of the sensor device. The device also displayed repeatability and long-term stability at respective operating temperatures. Improved sensitivity and selectivity are ascribed to synergistic effects arising from the formation of n-n type heterostructures. The present work indicates the potential use of composite-based heterojunctions to tune the sensing parameters and provide new possibilities to enhance the applications of MoS2 and metal-oxide semiconductor-based composites.

Automated summary

In this study, a temperature-sensitive sensor using MoS2/WO3 composite as a sensing surface was successfully developed for selective detection of hydrogen sulfide and ethanol. The sensor showed preferential detection of the two gases by modulating the temperature, with good repeatability and long-term stability. Enhanced sensitivity and selectivity were achieved through the formation of n-n type heterostructures, indicating the potential of composite-based heterojunctions for tuning sensing parameters.