Comparative gas-sensing performance of 1D and 2D ZnO nanostructures

TLDR: In this paper, a first approximation of the depletion layer sensing mechanism is used to explain how the geometrical factors of one and two-dimensional nanostructures affect their sensing parameters.

Abstract: In this work we have grown one-dimensional (1D) and two-dimensional (2D) zinc oxide nanostructures. Changing the deposition parameters we were able to obtain ZnO nanowires with an average diameter of 80–250 nm. Nanosheets grown in different conditions show thickness values in the range 70–360 nm. These kinds of nanostructure have been used to fabricate conductometric gas sensors for liquid petroleum gas (LPG) detection. Different sensing parameters are investigated in both cases as a function of the dimensionality and size of the zinc oxide nanostructures. A first approximation of the “depletion layer sensing mechanism” is used to explain how the geometrical factors of one- and two-dimensional nanostructures affect their sensing parameters. The depletion layer affects two dimensions of nanowires and only one of nanosheets. This greatly improves the sensor response of 1D-nanostructures. On the other side two-dimensional nanostructures have a larger cross-section, which increases the base current, thus lowering the limit of detection. At the same operative conditions, nanowires show a better percentage response when compared to similar thickness nanosheets, but 2D nanosheets demonstrate an improved limit of detection (LoD).