Bismuth Ferrite-Silver Nanowire Flexible Nanocomposites for Room-Temperature Nitrogen Dioxide Sensing

Nitrogen dioxide (NO₂) is a major pollutant, causing acid rain, photochemical smog, and respiratory damage. The annual safe limit is 50 parts per billion (ppb), while concentrations exceeding 1 part per million (ppm) can result in respiratory ailments. Conventionally, n-type metal oxide semiconductors operating at elevated temperatures have been utilized for NO₂ detection. Recently, p-type semiconductors with their hole accumulation layer, rapid recovery post-gas exposure, and good humidity tolerance are being investigated as potential NO₂ sensors, once again working at elevated temperatures. In this work, a room-temperature (27 ± 2 °C) NO₂ sensor is demonstrated by using a nanocomposite based on p-type bismuth ferrite (BFO) nanoparticles and silver nanowires (Ag NWs). This nanocomposite is capable of sensing a NO₂ gas concentration of up to 0.2 ppm. The BFO nanoparticles are synthesized via a sol-gel route followed by sintering at 500 °C to form the crystalline phase. Nanocomposites are obtained by formulating a dispersion of the BFO nanoparticles and Ag NWs, followed by direct writing on both flexible and rigid substrates. The Ag NWs act as the conducting pathway, reducing the overall electrical resistance and thus enabling room-temperature operation. X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, and surface area studies provide phase information and surface morphology, and the porous nature of the film helps in room-temperature gas adsorption. The current-voltage and gas-sensing behavior are studied to obtain the optimized molar ratio (4:1 BFO/Ag NWs) for the sensor. The sensor deposited on poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET) also works under a bent condition, indicating good flexibility. Rapid NO₂ sensing was achieved in a BFO-Ag/PET device with response/recovery times of 7/8.5 s and 12/15 s in straight and bent geometries, respectively. Additionally, a good sensitivity of 30 to 60% was achieved for the BFO-Ag/PET device across 100 to 1000 ppb of NO₂. The development of a nanocomposite combining an active sensing element (BFO) and a charge-transport element (Ag NWs) opens up a multitude of other application areas.