Hydrothermal synthesis of 3D urchin-like α-Fe2O3 nanostructure for gas sensor

Urchin-like alpha-Fe2O3 nanostructures were obtained by a facile chemical solution route combined with subsequent calcination process. The images of field emission scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy indicated that these nanostructures were composed of one-dimensional nanorods with the diameter of about 40-50 nm and the length of about 800 nm. When tested as sensing materials for gas sensors, these alpha-Fe2O3 nanostructures exhibited high response, good response and recovery characteristics to ethanol at the operating temperature of 260 degrees C. The response time was about 2s to 100 ppm ethanol. (C) 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.