Surface Enhancement Effects of Tiny SnO2 Nanoparticle Modification on α-Fe2O3 for Room-Temperature NH3 Sensing.

Abstract

The development of a gas sensor capable of detecting ammonia with high selectivity and rapid response at room temperature has consistently posed a formidable challenge. To address this issue, the present study utilized a one-step solvothermal method to co-assemble α-Fe2O3 and SnO2 by evenly covering SnO2 nanoparticles on the surface of α-Fe2O3. By controlling the morphology and Fe/Sn mole ratio of the composite, the as-prepared sample exhibits high-performance detection of NH3. At room temperature conditions, a gas sensor composed of α-Fe2O3@3%SnO2 demonstrates a rapid response time of 14 s and a notable sensitivity of 83.9% when detecting 100 ppm ammonia. Experiments and density functional theory (DFT) calculations suggest that the adsorption capacity of α-Fe2O3 to ammonia is enhanced by the surface effect provided by SnO2. Meanwhile, the existence of SnO2 tailors the pore structure and effective surface area of α-Fe2O3, creating multiple channels for the diffusion and adsorption of ammonia molecules. Additionally, an N-N heterostructure is formed between α-Fe2O3 and SnO2, which enhances the potential energy barrier and improves the ammonia sensing performance. Demonstration experiments have proved that the sensor shows significant advantages over commercial sensors in the process of ammonia detection in agricultural facilities. This work provides new insights into the perspectives on ammonia detection at room temperature.