One-dimensional In2O3 nanorods as sensing material for ppb-level n-butanol detection.

Effectively and quantificationally detecting hazardous gas n-butanol is very significant in daily life, which can bring about a safe living condition for humans. In this study, the one-dimensional In2O3 nanorods were successfully synthesized via hydrothermal route and post-heat treatment. Noticeably, one-dimensional nanorods structures were obtained and the products presented a superior growth orientation along with (222) plane. Additionally, systematical gas-sensing measurements of the sensor made from In2O3 nanorods towards hazardous n-butanol gas were conducted. Results exhibited that the fabricated sensor showed excellent n-butanol sensing properties, with aspects to a superior response value of 342.20 with concentration 100 ppm at 240 oC, remarkable selectivity, fast response/recovery times (77.5/34.2 s) and good stability. More interestingly, the detection limit of sensor as low as 500 ppb and a good linearity relationship between response values and n-butanol concentrations was presented. Gas-sensitive properties of this sensor are better than previously reported in n-butanol detection. All results demonstrate that one-dimensional In2O3 nanorod is a promising sensor material to practical applications in effectively detecting n-butanol gas.