Core-shell alpha-Fe2O3@SnO2/Au hybrid structures and their enhanced gas sensing properties

Hybrid nanostructures with controlled morphology and tunable compositions are of vital significance to both fundamental studies and practical applications. A novel core-shell heterostructure of alpha-Fe2O3@SnO2/Au ternary hybrid nanospindles has been successfully fabricated, which were composed of alpha-Fe2O3 nanospindles as the cores and Au-decorated SnO2 coatings as the shells. The obtained core-shell structures have been characterized by means of XRD, SEM, TEM and XPS. By virtue of their special architectures and multiple compositions, the alpha-Fe2O3@SnO2/Au hybrid structures demonstrated enhanced gas sensing performances such as higher sensitivity and faster response-recovery, in comparison to pristine alpha-Fe2O3 nanospindles. This work proposes an example for the design of complex nanostructures with multiple functional compositions for high performance gas sensors.