MOF-derived porous Fe2O3 nanocubes combined with reduced graphene oxide for n-butanol room temperature gas sensing

Although a few metal oxide gas sensors have been applied to the detection of n-butanol, gas sensors operating at room temperature aimed at such agents are still rare until now. Here, porous Fe2O3 nanocubes were successfully prepared using the fabricated metal-organic framework (MOF) of prussian blue (PB) as a self-template, and simultaneously, reduced graphene oxide (rGO) was combined with them through a solution method and calcination process. The morphologies, microstructures and element compositions were characterized by a series of techniques. Moreover, the gas sensor based on the porous Fe2O3 nanocubes combined with rGO exhibited enhanced gas sensing performances towards n-butanol compared with that of pure Fe2O3 nanocubes at room temperature, e.g. enhancement from 12.7%-171% for 100 ppm n-butanol. Furthermore, such gas sensor also possessed excellent selectivity, perfect linearity and outstanding long-term stability. These enhanced gas sensing performances can be ascribed to the porous morphology with a high surface area, as well as the p-n heterojunction formed between the porous Fe2O3 nanocubes and rGO.