Light assisted room temperature ethanol gas sensing of ZnO-ZnS nanowires

ZnO-core/ZnS-shell nanowires were synthesized by the thermal evaporation of a mixture of ZnO and graphite powders followed by the thermal evaporation of ZnS powders. Multiple networked nanowire gas sensors were then fabricated using the core-shell nanowires. The morphology, crystal structure and sensing properties of the ZnO-core/ZnS-shell nanowires to C2H5OH gas at room temperature under ultraviolet (UV) illumination were examined. The responses of the ZnO-core/ZnS-shell nanowires to C2H5OH gas were 1.2-2.1 times higher than those of the ZnO nanowires at C2H5OH concentrations ranging from 50 to 250 ppm under UV illumination. On the other hand, the resistance of the ZnO nanowires in the dark at room temperature was too high to measure. The underlying mechanism for the enhanced gas sensing properties of the ZnO-core/ZnS-shell nanowires toward C2H5OH gas is discussed.