We report on the NO gas sensing properties of Al-doped zinc oxide-carbon nanotube (ZnO-CNT) wire-like layered composites fabricated by coaxially coating Al-doped ZnO thin films on randomly oriented single-walled carbon nanotubes. We were able to wrap thin ZnO layers around the CNTs using the pulsed laser deposition method, forming wire-like nanostructures of ZnO-CNT. Microstructural observations revealed an ultrathin wire-like structure with a diameter of several tens of nm. Gas sensors based on ZnO-CNT wire-like layered composites were found to exhibit a novel sensing capability that originated from the genuine characteristics of the composites. Specifically, it was observed by measured gas sensing characteristics that the gas sensors based on ZnO-CNT layered composites showed a very high sensitivity of above 1,500% for NO gas in dry air at an optimal operating temperature of 200˚C; the sensors also showed a low NO gas detection limit at a sub-ppm level in dry air. The enhanced gas sensing properties of the ZnO-CNT wire-like layered composites are ascribed to a catalytic effect of Al elements on the surface reaction and an increase in the effective surface reaction area of the active ZnO layer due to the coating of CNT templates with a higher surface-to-volume ratio structure. These results suggest that ZnO-CNT composites made of ultrathin Al-doped ZnO layers uniformly coated around carbon nanotubes can be promising materials for use in practical high-performance NO gas sensors.

We investigated the NO gas sensing characteristics of ZnO-carbon nanotube (ZnO-CNT) layered composites fabricated by coaxial coating of single-walled CNTs with a thin layer of 1 wt% Al-doped ZnO using rf magnetron sputtering deposition. Morphological studies clearly revealed that the ZnO appeared to form beadshaped crystalline nanoparticles with an average diameter as small as 30 nm, attaching to the surface of the nanotubes. It was found that the NO gas sensing properties of the ZnO-CNT layered composites were dramatically improved over Al-doped ZnO thin films. It is reasoned from these observations that an increase in the surface-to-volume ratio associated with the numerous ZnO “nanobeads” on the surface of the CNTs results in the enhancement of the NO gas sensing properties. The ZnO-CNT layered composite sensors exhibited a maximum sensitivity of 13.7 to 2 ppm NO gas at a temperature of 200˚C and a low NO gas detection limit of 0.2 ppm in dry air.

최근 국내에서도 지진의 발생 가능성이 증가하는 추세이며 교량 및 터널 등의 시설물에 대한 지진과 같은 예상하지 못한 작용하중에 대한 안전성을 강화하고 있다. 특히, 1988년 이전 건설된 도시철도 시설물의 대부분은 내진설계가 반영되지 않아 지진하중에 대해 취약할 수 있으므로, 내진안전성에 대한 검토와 보강이 요구되고 있다. 이 연구에서는 도시철도 개착식 터널의 내진성능 향상을 도모하고자, 구조적 취약부분인 내측 기둥에 내진보강을 위한 새로운 FRP-연성재 적층복합체를 제안하였다. 적층조건에 따른 FRP-연성재 적층복합체에 대한 실험을 통해 재료물성치를 산출하여, 이를 근간으로 수치모델을 작성하였다. 수치해석을 통해 제안된 보강재로 보강된 RC기둥의 내진성능이 증대됨을 알 수 있었다. 또한 섬유보강재의 적층조건 (연성재의 종류, FRP 적층수, 섬유배향각)에 따라 성능 향상의 차이가 있는 것을 확인할 수 있었다.