3D microporous Co3O4-carbon hybrids biotemplated from butterfly wings as high performance VOCs gas sensor

Three-dimensionally (3D) microporous Co3O4@C with different concentration of cobalt ions has been synthesized by using butterfly wings as biotemplates via a hydrothermal process followed by sintering. This unique structure finely combines the higher sensing property of Co3O4 and larger surface area of the carbon skeleton formed by biotemplate calcination. Their microstructures and morphologies were characterized by XRD, SEM, TEM, TG/DTA. Meanwhile, the gas sensing responses to Co3O4@C were also investigated. The S3-Co3O4@C (2.41 mmol Co(NO3)(2), 450 degrees C) shows excellent sensing performances towards Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) vapors with higher gas response, excellent repeatability and high sensitivity at low operating temperature. The remarkable improvement in gas-sensing properties of the S3-Co3O4@C was attributed to their unique microporous structure and the increasing chemisorption sites at the film surface. (C) 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.