Highly efficient rapid ethanol sensing based on Co-doped In₂O₃ nanowires

Pristine and Co-doped In(2)O(3) nanowires were synthesized via electrospinning with subsequent calcination. Scanning electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy were used to characterize nanowire morphology and structure. Ethanol sensing performance analyzed in the range of temperatures and concentrations showed that Co-doped In(2)O(3) nanowires exhibited significantly enhanced sensitivity and rate of performance with the response and recovery times of 2s and 3s, respectively. Combined with excellent selectivity and linearity, these properties make the fabricated nanowires a good candidate for practical ethanol sensing. Further performance improvements are possible with utilization of nanofiber continuity intrinsic of the used top-down nanowire nanomanufacturing process.