A ZnS/H-NiS homojunction–heterojunction hybrid composite for high-performance triethylamine gas sensing

Abstract

Composite metal sulfide semiconductor materials have gradually emerged as a research hotspot in the field of novel gas sensors, owing particularly to their unique electronic structures and surface activities. However, heterophasic composite materials based on metal sulfides remain rarely explored for gas detection applications. In this study, porous spherical NiS materials were first synthesized via a hydrothermal method. Subsequently, NiS-based heterophasic composites modified with varying loadings of ZnS were prepared through a secondary hydrothermal process. The as-prepared composites exhibit remarkable sensing performance toward triethylamine (TEA) gas: at 310 °C, the response value to 100 ppm TEA reaches 150%, with a limit of detection (LOD) as low as 0.2 ppm. This research aims to develop novel composite heterojunction-sensitive materials, and it provides both theoretical basis and experimental support for the development of high-performance sulfide-based gas sensors.