Silver (Ag) doped cadmium oxide (CdO) nanoparticles were synthesized through laser ablation in liquid for the sensing applications

The pulsed laser ablation in liquid technique was utilized to synthesize cadmium oxide nanoparticles (CdO NPs) that were both pure and doped with varying concentrations of silver (Ag). The synthesized nanoparticles were subjected to characterization techniques such as Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), X-ray diffraction (XRD), UV-VIS spectroscopy, Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscopy with Energy dispersive spectroscopy, and atomic force microscopy. The FTIR and XRD data confirmed the successful synthesis of CdO NPs doped with Ag. The morphology of pure CdO NPs was observed to be agglomerated in bundles that resembled tangled nanowires. However, this morphology changed to nanorods and interconnecting web architectures with increasing Ag concentration. The absorption properties of the nanoparticles were found to vary with Ag doping concentrations. Additionally, the gas sensing properties of both the pure and doped CdO sensors were investigated. The composite nanoparticle sensor demonstrated a gas sensing response of 46 to NO2, which was 1.8 times larger than that of the pure CdO NP sensor (24.9). As a result, it was determined that oxidizing gas (NO2) was less sensitive to Ag doped CdO nanocomposite sensors than reducing gas (H2S).