Preparation and characterizations of Erbium(III)-Tris(8-hydroxyquinolinato) nanostructured films for possible use in gas sensor

Abstract

In this paper, Erbium(III)-Tris(8-hydroxyquinolinato) (Erq3), with the empirical formula: C27H18ErN3O3, has been introduced as a photoelectronic performance sensor of a promised candidate film with high sensitivity to NO2 gas. The present film was prepared by the thermal vacuum process, and the structure and composition of Erq3were investigated by the analysis of XRD-pattern, FTIR-spectra, and AFM technique. A polycrystalline with a single peak (at the centered Bragg’s angle, 2θ = 11.40°) has been observed for the Erq3 film. AFM images indicate that the film surface is composed of distributed plateaus. The absorption spectrum showed three absorption bands at 265 nm corresponding to f-π* transitions, while the peaks at 330 and 375 nm are attributed to the π-π* transitions. The band gap energy was evaluated by Tauc relation, while the electronic transition was indirect. The response time, recovery time, and sensitivity at the operating temperature of 348 K were 1.46 s, 14.2 s, and 20%, respectively. A comparison of sensor parameters with other relative materials was also reported.