Pd-doped zinc oxide nanostructures for liquefied petroleum gas detection at low temperature

Abstract

One dimensional vertically aligned zinc oxide (ZnO) nanorods sensor was fabricated on aluminum foil as substrate by solvothermal process and their liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) detection characteristics were studied. In this research the relationship between LPG sensing properties and surface morphology of ZnO nanorod sensor is observed. The crystal phase and surface morphology has been studied by X-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). It was studied and it was observed that LPG sensing was enhanced up to 80% using a conducting substrate. The sensor exhibited excellent response with 2600 ppm gas flow at room temperature. We also investige that un-coated ZnO nanorods exhibited highest response of 80% at 5000 ppm while Pd-sentisized ZnO nanowires shows greater response 84% at 2600 ppm. Sensing response versus time, temperature and gas concentration was also measured. The experimental results showed that zinc oxide nanorods grown on aluminum foil by solvothermal technique is a promising material for economical growth of a sensor and nanorods have hexagonal tip and wurtzite structure.