We report on the efficient detection of NO gas by an all-oxide semiconductor p-n heterojunction diode structure comprised of n-type zinc oxide (ZnO) nanorods embedded in p-type copper oxide (CuO) thin film. The CuO thin film/ZnO nanorod heterostructure was fabricated by directly sputtering CuO thin film onto a vertically aligned ZnO nanorod array synthesized via a hydrothemal method. The transport behavior and NO gas sensing properties of the fabricated CuO thin film/ ZnO nanorod heterostructure were charcterized and revealed that the oxide semiconductor heterojunction exhibited a definite rectifying diode-like behavior at various temperatures ranging from room temperature to 250 oC. The NO gas sensing experiment indicated that the CuO thin film/ZnO nanorod heterostructure had a good sensing performance for the efficient detection of NO gas in the range of 2-14 ppm under the conditions of an applied bias of 2 V and a comparatively low operating temperature of 150 oC. The NO gas sensing process in the CuO/ZnO p-n heterostructure is discussed in terms of the electronic band structure.

In2O3 doped WO3 powders were prepared by a polymer solution route and their NO2 gas sensing properties were analyzed. The synthesized powders showed nano-sized particles with specific surface areas of 6.01~21.5 m2/g and the particle size and shape changed according to the content of In2O3. The gas sensors fabricated with the synthesized powders were tested at operating temperatures of 400~500 oC and 100~500 ppm concentrations of NO2 atmosphere. The particle size and In2O3 content affected on the initial sensor resistance in an air atmosphere. The highest sensitivity (8.57 at 500 oC), which was 1.77 higher than the sensor consisting of the pure WO3 sample, was measured in the 0.5 mol% In2O3 doping sample. In addition, the response time and recovery time were improved by the addition of In2O3.

본 연구에서는 배가스 내 존재하는 오염물질인 NO의 처리효율을 증대시키기 위하여 NO 산화 공정을 연구하였으며, 강력한 산화력의 건식산화제를 제조하는 방법으로 H2O2 촉매분해가 도입되었다. H2O2 분해공정 상에서 적용 가능한 K-Mn/Fe2O3 불균일계 촉매가 제조되었으며, 이들이 가지는 물리화학 적 특성이 H2O2 분해반응에 미치는 영향이 조사되었다. 제조된 건식산화제는 NO가 포함된 모사 배가스를 처리하기 위한 NO 산화공정에 적용되었으며, 다양한 모사 배가스의 유량(5, 10, 20 L/min)에서 약 100% 가까운 NO 전환율을 확인 하였다.

Activated carbon fiber (ACF) surfaces are modified using an electron beam under different aqueous solutions to improve the NO gas sensitivity of a gas sensor based on ACFs. The oxygen functional group on the ACF surface is changed, resulting in an increase of the number of non-carbonyl (-C-O-C-) groups from 32.5% for pristine ACFs to 39.53% and 41.75% for ACFs treated with hydrogen peroxide and potassium hydroxide solutions, respectively. We discover that the NO gas sensitivity of the gas sensor fabricated using the modified ACFs as an electrode material is increased, although the specific surface area of the ACFs is decreased because of the recovery of their crystal structure. This is attributed to the static electric interaction between NO gas and the non-carbonyl groups introduced onto the ACF surfaces.

올레핀/파라핀 혼합 기체의 분리를 위한 올레핀 촉진 수송 분리막의 제조를 위해 amide 작용기를 가지며 glassy한 특성을 보이는 polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) 고분자를 분리막의 matrix로서 사용하였다. 분리막의 기체 투과 실험은 propylene 과 propane 50 : 50의 부피비로 혼합된 기체를 사용하였고, bubble meter와 gas chromatography를 사용해 투과도와 선택도를 측정하였다. 또한 SEM image와 FT-IR을 통해 막의 특성을 조사하였다. 100시간의 장시간 성능 측정 결과 선택도는 약 15, 투과도는 약 1.3 GPU 이상을 각각 유지하였다. 기존의 poly(2-ethyl-2-oxazoline) (POZ)/AgBF4/Al(NO3)3 분리막과 비교함으 로써, 고분자 matrix로서의 PVP 특성을 확인하였다.

We report a highly sensitive NO2 gas sensor based on multi-layer graphene (MLG) films synthesized by a chemical vapor deposition method on a microheater-embedded flexible substrate. The MLG could detect low-concentration NO2 even at sub-ppm (<200 ppb) levels. It also exhibited a high resistance change of ~6% when it was exposed to 1 ppm NO2 gas at room temperature for 1 min. The exceptionally high sensitivity could be attributed to the large number of NO2 molecule adsorption sites on the MLG due to its a large surface area and various defect-sites, and to the high mobility of carriers transferred between the MLG films and the adsorbed gas molecules. Although desorption of the NO2 molecules was slow, it could be enhanced by an additional annealing process using an embedded Au microheater. The outstanding mechanical flexibility of the graphene film ensures the stable sensing response of the device under extreme bending stress. Our large-scale and easily reproducible MLG films can provide a proof-of-concept for future flexible NO2 gas sensor devices.

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.

A novel electrode for an NO gas sensor was fabricated from electrospun polyacrylonitrile fibers by thermal treatment to obtain carbon fibers followed by chemical activation to enhance the activity of gas adsorption sites. The activation process improved the porous structure, increasing the specific surface area and allowing for efficient gas adsorption. The gas sensing ability and response time were improved by the increased surface area and micropore fraction. High performance gas sensing was then demonstrated by following a proposed mechanism based on the activation effects. Initially, the pore structure developed by activation significantly increased the amount of adsorbed gas, as shown by the high sensitivity of the gas sensor. Additionally, the increased micropore fraction enabled a rapid sensor response time due to improve the adsorption speed. Overall, the sensitivity for NO gas was improved approximately six-fold, and the response time was reduced by approximately 83% due to the effects of chemical activation.

Semiconducting metal oxides have been frequently used as gas sensing materials. While zinc oxide is a popular material for such applications, structures such as nanowires, nanorods and nanotubes, due to their large surface area, are natural candidates for use as gas sensors of higher sensitivity. The compound ZnO has been studied, due to its chemical and thermal stability, for use as an n-type semiconducting gas sensor. ZnO has a large exciton binding energy and a large bandgap energy at room temperature. Also, ZnO is sensitive to toxic and combustible gases. The NO gas properties of zinc oxide-single wall carbon nanotube (ZnO-SWCNT) composites were investigated. Fabrication includes the deposition of porous SWCNTs on thermally oxidized SiO2 substrates followed by sputter deposition of Zn and thermal oxidation at 400˚C in oxygen. The Zn films were controlled to 50 nm thicknesses. The effects of microstructure and gas sensing properties were studied for process optimization through comparison of ZnO-SWCNT composites with ZnO film. The basic sensor response behavior to 10 ppm NO gas were checked at different operation temperatures in the range of 150-300˚C. The highest sensor responses were observed at 300˚C in ZnO film and 250˚C in ZnO-SWCNT composites. The ZnO-SWCNT composite sensor showed a sensor response (~1300%) five times higher than that of pure ZnO thin film sensors at an operation temperature of 250˚C.

Recently, one-dimensional semiconducting nanomaterials have attracted considerable interest for their potential as building blocks for fabricating various nanodevices. Among these semiconducting nanomaterials,, SnO2 nanostructures including nanowires, nanorods, nanobelts, and nanotubes were successfully synthesized and their electrochemical properties were evaluated. Although SnO2 nanowires and nanobelts exhibit fascinating gas sensing characteristics, there are still significant difficulties in using them for device applications. The crucial problem is the alignment of the nanowires. Each nanowire should be attached on each die using arduous e-beam or photolithography, which is quite an undesirable process in terms of mass production in the current semiconductor industry. In this study, a simple process for making sensitive SnO2 nanowire-based gas sensors by using a standard semiconducting fabrication process was studied. The nanowires were aligned in-situ during nanowire synthesis by thermal CVD process and a nanowire network structure between the electrodes was obtained. The SnO2 nanowire network was floated upon the Si substrate by separating an Au catalyst between the electrodes. As the electric current is transported along the networks of the nanowires, not along the surface layer on the substrate, the gas sensitivities could be maximized in this networked and floated structure. By varying the nanowire density and the distance between the electrodes, several types of nanowire network were fabricated. The NO2 gas sensitivity was 30~200 when the NO2 concentration was 5~20ppm. The response time was ca. 30~110 sec.

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.

We investigated the effects of Co doping on the NO gas sensing characteristics of ZnO-carbon nanotube (ZnO-CNT) layered composites fabricated by coaxial coating of single-walled CNTs with ZnO using pulsed laser deposition. Structural examinations clearly confirmed a distinct nanostructure of the CNTs coated with ZnO nanoparticles of an average diameter as small as 10 nm and showed little influence of doping 1 at.% Co into ZnO on the morphology of the ZnO-CNT composites. It was found from the gas sensing measurements that 1 at.% Co doping into ZnO gave rise to a significant improvement in the response of the ZnO-CNT composite sensor to NO gas exposure. In particular, the Co-doped ZnO-CNT composite sensor shows a highly sensitive and fast response to NO gas at relatively low temperatures and even at low NO concentrations. The observed significant improvement of the NO gas sensing properties is attributed to an increase in the specific surface area and the role as a catalyst of the doped Co elements. These results suggest that Co-doped ZnOCNT composites are suitable for use as practical high-performance NO gas sensors.

The NO gas sensing properties of ZnO-carbon nanotube (ZnO-CNT) composites fabricated by the coaxial coating of single-walled CNTs with ZnO were investigated using pulsed laser deposition. Upon examination, the morphology and crystallinity of the ZnO-CNT composites showed that CNTs were uniformly coated with polycrystalline ZnO with a grain size as small as 5-10 nm. Gas sensing measurements clearly indicated a remarkable enhancement of the sensitivity of ZnO-CNT composites for NO gas compared to that of ZnO films while maintaining the strong sensing stability of the composites, properties that CNT-based sensing materials do not have. The enhanced gas sensing properties of the ZnO-CNT composites are attributed to an increase in the surface adsorption area of the ZnO layer via the coating by CNTs of a high surface-to-volume ratio structure. These results suggest that the ZnO-CNT composite is a promising template for novel solid-state semiconducting gas sensors.

It is well known that the metallo- phthalocyanine (MPcs) are sensitive to toxic gaseous molecules such as NO2 and also chemically and thermally stable, Therefore, lots of MPcs have been studied for the potential chemical sensor for NO2 gas using quartz crystal microbalance(QCM) or electrical conductivity. In this study, ultra-thin films of octa(2-ethylhexyloxy)copper-phthalocyanine were prepared by Langmuir-Blodgett method and characterized by using UV-VIS absortion spectroscopy and ellipsometry. Transfer condition, and characterization of LB films were investigated and preliminary results of current-voltage(I-V) characteristics of these films exposed to NO2 gas as a function of film thickness and temperature were discussed.

Ultra thin films of Tetra-3-hexadecylsulphamoylcopperphthalocyanine(HDSM-CuPc) were formed on various substrates by Langmuir-Blodgett method, where HDSM-CuPc was synthesized by attaching long-chain alkylamine(hexa-decylamine) to CuPc. The reaction product was identified with FT-IR, UV-visible absorption spectroscopies, elemental analysis and thin layer chromatography. The formation of Ultrathin Langmuir-Blodgett(LB) films of HDSM-CuPc was confirmed by FT-IR and UV-visible spectroscopies. A quartz piezoelectric crystal coated with LB films of HDSM-CuPc was examined as a gas sensor for N02 gas. HDSM-CuPc LB films were transferred to a quartz crystal microbalance(QCM) in the form of Z-type multilayers. Response characteristics of film-coated QCM to NO2 gas concentrations over a range of 100~600ppm have been tested with a thickness of 5~20 layers of HDSM-CuPc. Changes in frequency by adsorption of NO2 were increased With the number of LB layers and NO2 concentration, but the response time was slow.