Synthesis of TiO2 nanowires for rapid NO2 detection

In this study, a highly sensitive nitrogen dioxide (NO2) gas sensor based on titanium dioxide nanowires (TiO2-NWs) was successfully fabricated using a hydrothermal method. The structure of the sensor was investigated using scanning electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, and transmission electron microscopy. The sensor properties were also investigated. We found that the TiO2-NW sensor showed excellent selectivity and high sensitivity down to 100 ppm NO2 at room temperature with rapid response and recovery times of 10 s and 19 s, respectively. Additionally, the TiO2-NWs displayed good repeatability and selectivity against various interfering gases such as NH3, H-2, and CH4. We propose a possible mechanism for NO2 sensing by the TiO2-NW sensor. (C) 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.