α-Fe₂O₃/TiO₂/Ti₃C₂T_x Nanocomposites for Enhanced Acetone Gas Sensors

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Nanotechnology
• Chemical Engineering

Background:

• Metal oxide semiconductors are crucial for microelectronic applications due to their cost-effectiveness and processability.
• Developing advanced semiconductor materials is key to improving gas sensor performance.

Purpose of the Study:

• To synthesize and characterize novel ternary α-Fe2O3/TiO2/Ti3C2Tx nanocomposites.
• To evaluate the gas-sensing properties of these nanocomposites for acetone detection.

Main Methods:

• Hydrothermal and annealing treatments for nanocomposite synthesis.
• X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS), Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), Energy-Dispersive X-ray Spectroscopy (EDS), and X-ray Diffraction (XRD) for material characterization.
• Gas-sensing measurements at various temperatures and concentrations.

Main Results:

• The α-Fe2O3/TiO2/Ti3C2Tx sensor demonstrated a 3.5-fold increase in response value compared to pure α-Fe2O3 for 100 ppm acetone at 220°C.
• Achieved rapid response/recovery times (10/7 s), an ultra-low detection limit (0.1 ppm), excellent selectivity, and long-term stability.
• Enhanced sensitivity is attributed to the synergistic effects of metal conductivity, Ti3C2Tx layered structure, and heterojunction formation.

Conclusions:

• The developed ternary nanocomposites offer superior gas-sensing performance for acetone.
• This work presents a new pathway for synthesizing MXene derivatives and metal oxide nanocomposites for advanced sensor technology.