Highly sensitive room temperature carbon monoxide detection using SnO2 nanoparticle-decorated semiconducting single-walled carbon nanotubes

Nanotechnology. 2013 Jan 18;24(2):025503. doi: 10.1088/0957-4484/24/2/025503. Epub 2012 Dec 13.

Abstract

We demonstrate a practical sensing platform, consisting of SnO(2) nanoparticle-decorated semiconducting single-walled carbon nanotubes assembled on gold electrodes via a dielectrophoretic process, for highly sensitive CO detection with fast response at room temperature. The highest sensitivity obtained was 0.27 and the response time was ∼2 s for 100 ppm CO detection. The lower detection limit was ∼1 ppm. These results indicate that the sensing performance of our device is among the best of CO sensors implemented with SWNTs. Further, we observed a significant increase in sensitivity to 0.67 after subjecting the device to an electrical breakdown at 8 V. We also proposed a theoretical model to reveal the relationship between the sensitivity and the gas concentration. The new model not only resulted in a nice fit to our data, but also allowed us to estimate the contact resistance between an individual SWNT and the gold electrodes.

Publication types

  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.

MeSH terms

  • Carbon Dioxide / analysis*
  • Carbon Dioxide / chemistry
  • Computer Simulation
  • Computer-Aided Design
  • Conductometry / instrumentation*
  • Equipment Design
  • Equipment Failure Analysis
  • Microelectrodes*
  • Models, Chemical*
  • Nanotubes, Carbon / chemistry*
  • Nanotubes, Carbon / ultrastructure
  • Semiconductors*
  • Sulfides / chemistry*
  • Temperature
  • Tin Compounds / chemistry*

Substances

  • Nanotubes, Carbon
  • Sulfides
  • Tin Compounds
  • tin sulfide
  • Carbon Dioxide