Microwave-assisted sol-gel synthesis of CeO2–NiO nanocomposite based NO2 gas sensor for selective detection at lower operating temperature

Abstract

The progress in the development of gas sensors has considerably grown using some novel nanomaterials of metal, metal oxide and composite. In the current study, we intended and evaluated the properties of nanomaterials like CeO2, NiO, and CeO2–NiO composite and its application as NO2 gas sensor. Sensing of low concentration of NO2 gas at optimum functional temperature was succeeded using CeO2–NiO nanocomposites (NCs) film. The working temperature ranges in between 100 and 225 ​°C. Highly crystalline nanomaterials (CeO2, NiO and CeO2–NiO) have been prepared by applying microwave-assisted sol-gel route. The as-prepared nanomaterials are characterized for their structure, size, morphology and constitution by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and energy dispersive X-ray analysis. XRD studies of nanoparticles reveal the formation of nanoscale CeO2 and NiO with crystallite size 26, 23 ​nm, respectively. Both are having a face centered cubic structure. The nanocomposite (NC) Ce:Ni ​= ​60:40 has crystallite size of 13 ​nm. XRD study of NCs shows assimilation of Ni metal into the ceria and proves physical similarities of two phases. It can be observed from SEM that prepared NC has a porous surface which enables more surface active sites for adsorbing oxygen. The optical properties are measured with the help of UV–Vis. Spectroscopy. Optical band gaps of 3.19, 3.41 and 2.9 ​eV were observed for CeO2, NiO nanoparticles (NPs) and CeO2–NiO NC, respectively. Gas sensing properties state that the NC material shows a higher gas response % of 67.34% for NO2 gas (25 ​ppm) at comparatively low operating temperature (125 ​°C). It gives response time as (∼28 ​s) and the recovery (∼54 ​s). NiO incorporation in CeO2 results in a decline of operating temperature of NC and improves the sensing features.