Fabrication of multiwalled carbon nanotubes/MoS2 nanocomposite: Application as temperature sensor

Abstract

In this work, the fabrication of a multiwalled carbon nanotube/molybdenum disulfide (MWCNT@MoS2) composite thin-film-based highly sensitive temperature sensor is reported. The efficiency of the sensor is estimated through its parameters such as temperature coefficient of resistance (TCR), and thermal hysteresis (Hth), which are the key parameters of the efficient thermometer. The sensing parameters like TCR and Hth both regulate heat transport in the thermometer and control the additional sensing properties including response magnitude, response and recovery time, sensitivity, and resolution. MoS2 wrapped on the MWCNT network observes the hopping of electrons and increases the carrier mobility of the MoS2 nanostructure for temperature sensing study. The MWCNT@MoS2 composite sensor tested in the high-temperature range (298–373 K) displays TCR of −0.62%/K, a response time of ∼73 s, a recovery time of ∼89 s, and ∼0.57% hysteresis loss. In the low-temperature range (298–173 K), the TCR increases many folds to ∼2.07%/K with ∼0.39% hysteresis loss. These results are encouraging for the development of low-cost, highly sensitive resistive sensors that may spark interest in solid-state thermometer applications.