Fabrication of N-type Fe2O3 and P-type LaFeO3 nanobelts by electrospinning and determination of gas-sensing properties

N-type Fe2O3 nanobelts and P-type LaFeO3 nanobelts were prepared by electrospinning. The structure and micro-morphology of the materials were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning of electron microscopy (SEM). The gas sensing properties of the materials were investigated. The results show that the optimum operating temperature of the gas sensors fabricated from Fe2O3 nanobelts is 285 degrees C, whereas that from LaFeO3 nanobelts is 170 degrees C. Under optimum operating temperatures at 500 ppm ethanol, the response of the gas sensors based on these two materials is 4.9 and 8.9, respectively. The response of LaFeO3-based gas sensors behaves linearly with the ethanol concentration at 10-200 ppm. Sensitivities to different gases were examined, and the results show that LaFeO3 nanobelts exhibit good selectivity to ethanol, making them promising candidates as practical detectors of ethanol. (C) 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.