A humidity-tolerant NO2 sensor based on Ag3PO4-SnSe2 heterostructures

Gas sensing under harsh conditions, like humid environments, is highly required in the development of the Internet of Things. However, conventional gas sensors based on metal oxide semiconductors often suffer from a deterioration in sensing performance in a highly humid environment. Herein, Ag3PO4-SnSe2 heterostructures were constructed as a NO2 sensing material to work under highly humid environments at room temperature. The Ag3PO4-SnSe2 sensor exhibited an increased response with the increase in relative humidity. The chemical inertness to H2O molecules of SnSe2 and the high affinity to H2O molecules of Ag3PO4 played vital roles in improving the anti-humidity ability. Additionally, the sensor also demonstrated a high sensing response (6.8) to 5 ppm NO2 and a short response/recovery time (31/108 s) at room temperature. This study provides a new method to design advanced gas sensors with a high anti-humidity ability for room temperature NO2 detection.

Automated summary

In this study, Ag3PO4-SnSe2 heterostructures were constructed as a NO2 sensing material to work under highly humid environments at room temperature. The sensor exhibited an increased response with the increase in relative humidity, which was attributed to the chemical inertness of SnSe2 and high affinity of Ag3PO4 to H2O molecules. Moreover, the sensor showed a high sensing response (6.8) to 5 ppm NO2 and a short response/recovery time (31/108 s) at room temperature.