Gas sensing properties of defect-induced single-walled carbon nanotubes

• Published in: Sensors and actuators. B, Chemical Vol. 228; pp. 688 - 692
• Main Authors: Kim, Jaeseong, Choi, Sun-Woo, Lee, Je-Haeng, Chung, Youngchul, Byun, Young Tae
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier B.V 02.06.2016
• Subjects: Actuators; Annealing; Defect functionalization; Defects; Gas sensors; Heat treatment; Nitrogen dioxide; NO2 gas; Sensors; Single wall carbon nanotubes; Single-walled carbon nanotubes; Sensors; Single-walled carbon nanotubes; Defect functionalization; NO2 gas
• ISSN: 0925-4005; 1873-3077
• DOI: 10.1016/j.snb.2016.01.094

We report a method to induce defects on the surface of single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs) in order to improve the gas-sensing properties of an SWNT-based sensor. In this approach, the surface of the SWNTs is physically modified by thermal treatment at high temperature. The fabricated SWNT-based sensors were subjected to rapid thermal annealing (RTA) over the temperature range of 300–800°C. After the thermal treatment, the electrical resistances of the defect-induced SWNT sensors were measured and compared with those of pristine SWNT sensors. The gas sensing properties of the defect-induced SWNT sensors upon exposure to various gases such as NO2, NH3, and H2 were measured at room temperature. The thermally treated SWNT-based sensors exhibited much higher sensitivity and recovery than the pristine sensors. These results indicate that the defect-induced SWNTs can improve the performance of SWNT-based sensors.