AU and Pd Co-Doped in 2 O 3  Nanofiber for  Conductometric  Ppb-Level Co Detection

Abstract

Carbon monoxide (CO) is one of the most toxic gases to human life. Therefore, the effectively monitoring of it down to ppb level is of great significance. Herein, a series of In 2 O 3  nanofibers doped with Au, Pd or simultaneous Au and Pd have been prepared by electrospinning combined with calcination process. The as-obtained samples are applied for the detection of CO. Gas sensing investigations indicate that 2 at% Au and 2 at% Pd co-doped In 2 O 3  nanofibers exhibit the highest response (21.7) to 100 ppm CO at 180°C, and the response value is ~8.5 times higher than that of pure In 2 O 3 nanofibers. More importantly, the detection limit to CO is about 200 ppb with a response value of 1.23, and is obviously lower than that (6 ppm) of pure In 2 O 3 nanofibers. In addition, the sensor also shows well stability within 19 days. These demonstrate that co-doping suitable amount of Pd and Au to In 2 O 3  nanofibers might be a meaningful strategy for the development of high-performance carbon monoxide gas sensors.

Keywords: In2O3 nanofibers, Carbon monoxide gas sensor, electrospinning, Au and Pd co-doping, Low detection limit