Fabrication and performance enhancement of an In₂O₃/BiVO₄ heterojunction for N-butanol gas sensing applications

Butanol, a highly toxic volatile organic compound, poses significant health risks. Consequently, the creation of efficient gas-sensitive materials for butanol detection holds substantial practical significance. This study employed a secondary hydrothermal technique to synthesize In₂O₃, BiVO₄, and their composite In₂O₃/BiVO₄. Notably, the In₂O₃/BiVO₄ composite exhibited a threefold enhanced response, short desorption time and low operating temperature compared to pure BiVO₄. Moreover, the composite demonstrated improved selectivity, certain moisture-proof performance, and prolonged stability. The synthesis strategy, which entailed growing microspherical In₂O₃ on BiVO₄, led to structural modifications, enhanced surface area, increased oxygen adsorption capacity, an enlarged optical bandgap, and improved anti-interference ability of the device. As a result, the formation of an n-n heterojunction between In₂O₃ and BiVO₄ in the composite material translates into an outstanding butanol sensing device.