Issue 26, 2015

Controllable assembly of SnO2 nanocubes onto TiO2 electrospun nanofibers toward humidity sensing applications

Abstract

One-dimensional SnO2/TiO2 heterostructures were successfully synthesized through the hydrothermal assembly of the single-crystalline SnO2 nanocubes onto the TiO2 electrospun nanofibers. The as-synthesized heterostructures with controllable coverage density of SnO2 nanocubes were then coated onto the ceramic-based interdigital electrodes to produce the humidity nanosensors for the investigation of their humidity sensing characteristics. The results showed that the optimal nanosensor with ∼20 at% SnO2-based heterostructure exhibited good humidity sensitivity, fast response–recovery behavior, low humidity hysteresis, and good reproducibility. In particular, the response and recovery times of this optimal nanosensor could reach ∼2.4 s and ∼30.2 s, respectively, which were considerably shorter than the corresponding values of TiO2 nanofiber-based humidity nanosensors. The improved sensitivity characteristics for the SnO2/TiO2 heterostructures can be attributed to the interfacial electron transfer between SnO2 nanocubes and TiO2 nanofibers, which leads to an appropriate height of the potential barrier on the surface of the heterostructures for water adsorption and desorption. Our proposed humidity sensing mechanism would provide opportunities to guide the design and fabrication of other high-performance humidity sensors based on semiconductor heterostructures.

Graphical abstract: Controllable assembly of SnO2 nanocubes onto TiO2 electrospun nanofibers toward humidity sensing applications

Supplementary files

Article information

Article type
Paper
Submitted
25 Apr 2015
Accepted
22 May 2015
First published
22 May 2015

J. Mater. Chem. C, 2015,3, 6701-6708

Controllable assembly of SnO2 nanocubes onto TiO2 electrospun nanofibers toward humidity sensing applications

Z. Yang, Z. Zhang, K. Liu, Q. Yuan and B. Dong, J. Mater. Chem. C, 2015, 3, 6701 DOI: 10.1039/C5TC01171J

To request permission to reproduce material from this article, please go to the Copyright Clearance Center request page.

If you are an author contributing to an RSC publication, you do not need to request permission provided correct acknowledgement is given.

If you are the author of this article, you do not need to request permission to reproduce figures and diagrams provided correct acknowledgement is given. If you want to reproduce the whole article in a third-party publication (excluding your thesis/dissertation for which permission is not required) please go to the Copyright Clearance Center request page.

Read more about how to correctly acknowledge RSC content.

Social activity

Spotlight

Advertisements