Enhanced ethanol sensing properties of TiO2/ZnO core-shell nanorod sensors

TiO2-core/ZnO-shell nanorods were synthesized using a two-step process: the synthesis of TiO2 nanorods using a hydrothermal method followed by atomic layer deposition of ZnO. The mean diameter and length of the nanorods were similar to 300 nm and similar to 2.3 mu m, respectively. The cores and shells of the nanorods were monoclinic-structured single-crystal TiO2 and wurtzite-structured single-crystal ZnO, respectively. The multiple networked TiO2-core/ZnO-shell nanorod sensors showed responses of 132-1054 % at ethanol (C2H5OH) concentrations ranging from 5 to 25 ppm at 150 C-a similar to. These responses were 1-5 times higher than those of the pristine TiO2 nanorod sensors at the same C2H5OH concentration range. The substantial improvement in the response of the pristine TiO2 nanorods to C2H5OH gas by their encapsulation with ZnO may be attributed to the enhanced absorption and dehydrogenation of ethanol. In addition, the enhanced sensor response of the core-shell nanorods can be attributed partly to changes in resistance due to both the surface depletion layer of each core-shell nanorod and the potential barriers built in the junctions caused by a combination of homointerfaces and heterointerfaces.