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Published on: October 12, 2019
Silicon-induced oriented ZnS nanobelts for hydrogen sensitivity
Zhi-Gang Chen1, Jin Zou, Gang Liu
1Shenyang National Laboratory for Materials Science, Institute of Metal Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 72 Wenhua Road, Shenyang 110016, People's Republic of China. ARC Centre of Excellence for Functional Nanomaterials, School of Engineering and Australian Institute of Bioengineering and Nanotechnology, The University of Queensland, QLD 4072, Australia.
Oriented zinc sulfide (ZnS) nanobelts were synthesized for enhanced hydrogen gas sensing. These nanobelts exhibit superior response times compared to other materials, indicating excellent sensing capabilities.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Nanotechnology
- Chemical Engineering
Background:
- Zinc sulfide (ZnS) nanostructures are promising for gas sensing applications.
- Developing highly sensitive and rapid hydrogen gas sensors is crucial for safety and industrial monitoring.
- Existing sensors often face limitations in response time and sensitivity.
Purpose of the Study:
- To synthesize oriented zinc sulfide (ZnS) nanobelts.
- To investigate their structural properties and formation mechanism.
- To evaluate their performance as hydrogen gas sensors.
Main Methods:
- Oriented ZnS nanobelts were grown on silicon (Si) substrates using hydrogen-assisted thermal evaporation.
- Moist gas conditions were employed during synthesis.
- Structural characterization was performed to determine crystal structure and morphology.
- Hydrogen sensing properties were tested and compared to pure ZnO and Pd-sensitized ZnO.
Main Results:
- Single crystal hexagonal wurtzite ZnS nanobelts were successfully grown along the [0001] direction.
- The nanobelts possessed a rectangular cross-section (width 50-150 nm, thickness ~40 nm) and lengths up to tens of micrometres.
- A silicon-induced vapor-liquid-solid (VLS) process was proposed for their formation and assembly.
- The oriented ZnS nanobelts demonstrated significantly faster response times to hydrogen gas compared to pure ZnO and Pd-sensitized ZnO.
Conclusions:
- Oriented ZnS nanobelts can be effectively synthesized using hydrogen-assisted thermal evaporation.
- The proposed silicon-induced VLS mechanism explains their formation and assembly.
- These ZnS nanobelts exhibit excellent hydrogen sensing properties with a rapid response time, making them suitable for advanced gas sensing applications.
