In(OH)3 particles from an ionic liquid precursor and their conversion to porous In2O3 particles for enhanced gas sensing properties

Abstract

The ionic liquid precursor tetrabutylammonium hydroxide (TBAH) is used to synthesize In(OH)₃ particles. The ionic liquid TBAH is demonstrated to be effective for the synthesis of In(OH)₃ nanorods with a controlled size. The effect of the indium salt and the added water amount on the final products is investigated. The synthesized In(OH)₃ nanorods could be further transformed into porous In₂O₃ rod particles. Specifically, the gas sensing properties of the synthesized porous In₂O₃ rod particles to various organic compounds (methanol, ethanol, isopropanol, butanol, ethyl acetate and toluene) exhibit remarkable sensitivities, low detection limits and fast response–recovery times, which are superior to the reported In₂O₃ based sensors. The as-prepared porous In₂O₃ rod-based sensors thus demonstrate their potential applications in detecting chemical contaminants and dangerous gases.