Photocatalytic activity and smartness of TiO2 nanotube arrays for room temperature acetone sensing

Abstract

The enrichment in the photocatalytic activity of TiO2 nanotubes made them extensively used in power source and less power consuming materials. The Nano-hybrid structures enhance the functional surface area and smartness of the system. In the current research, TiO2 nanotube arrays were produced by standard anodization procedure and the acetone sensing experiments were conducted using in-house fabricated gas sensing chamber in the presence of visible light. TiO2 nanotube arrays shows an enhancement in the acetone sensitivity by absorbing blue light emitting from commercially available LED, further we studied photoinduced acetone sensing mechanism. The studies were carried out for varying concentrations of acetone vapours from 10 vol% to 50 vol% in the absence and in the presence of light. It was observed that at room temperature the lesser corresponding time and increased sensitivity were recorded for the samples in the existence of visible light as related to the samples in the absence of visible light.