Fe(OH)3/Ti3C2Tx nanocomposites for enhanced ammonia gas sensor at room temperature

Two-dimensional material (2D material) MXene has great application potential in gas sensors because of its excellent controllable performance and vast specific surface area. In this study, we used a straightforward in-situ electrostatic self-assembly technique to create Fe(OH)3/Ti3C2Tx nanocomposites, which were then used to fabricate gas sensors for ammonia detection at room temperature (25 °C). Several characterization methods were performed aimed at determining the surface appearance and construction of the nanocomposites, and the sensing characteristics and mechanism were also systematically examined. The findings demonstrate the effective incorporation of amorphous Fe(OH)3 nanoparticles on the surface of Ti3C2Tx. Additionally the nanocomposites of Fe(OH)3/Ti3C2Tx have considerably higher specific surface area than pure Ti3C2Tx, hence offering more active NH3 adsorption sites. The response of the sensor to 100 ppm NH3 was 48.6% at room temperature, which was 9.3 times more higher than that of pure Ti3C2Tx. The sensors also have the advantages of long-term stability (33 d), low NH3 detection limit (500 ppb), and rapid recovery time (85 s) and response times (78 s). It is anticipated that this work will be helpful for developing the new generation of wearable ammonia sensors at room temperature. © 2024 IOP Publishing Ltd. All rights, including for text and data mining, AI training, and similar technologies, are reserved.