Study of the Evolution of the Surface Properties of ZnO Powders under the Action of Mechanoactivation

Abstract

At present, the development of semiconductor sensor elements that detect hazardous oxides (CO, CO2) is an urgent scientific and technical task. As a rule, wide-gap metal oxides, such as ZnO, CuO, are used as a sensor matrix. Today, there are a large number of approaches to the synthesis and modification of gas-sensitive semiconductors with the possibility of sensitivity to carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide. The state of the environment and the forms of morbidity that occur in this area. The ultimate goal of the study is to find the optimal conditions for the mechanical grinding of zinc oxide in order to achieve the maximum value of the chemoresistive response. In this paper, we studied the patterns of evolution of defects and chemical features of the surface under the action of mechanoactivation in the attritor. Using the X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) method, we studied samples ground for 1, 3, and 5 hours using an attritor in an isopropyl alcohol without additional chemical treatment. Deconvolution was carried out by subtracting the Shirley background and then fitting the peak to the Voigt functions, which have a mixed character of Gauss and Lorentz. As a result, it was found that the ratios between the elements and their phases correlate with the stoichiometry of the sample.