Nano Express
A novel gas ionization sensor using Pd nanoparticle-capped ZnO
1 Department of Physics, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430072, China
2 Department of Physics, Zhanjiang Normal University, Zhanjiang 524037, China
3 Key Laboratory of Beam Technology and Materials Modification of Ministry of Education, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China
Nanoscale Research Letters 2011, 6:534 doi:10.1186/1556-276X-6-534
Published: 30 September 2011Abstract
A novel gas ionization sensor using Pd nanoparticle-capped ZnO (Pd/ZnO) nanorods as the anode is proposed. The Pd/ZnO nanorod-based sensors, compared with the bare ZnO nanorod, show lower breakdown voltage for the detected gases with good sensitivity and selectivity. Moreover, the sensors exhibit stable performance after more than 200 tests for both inert and active gases. The simple, low-cost, Pd/ZnO nanorod-based field-ionization gas sensors presented in this study have potential applications in the field of gas sensor devices.
