title: Surface-doping effect of InVO4 nanoribbons and the distinctive behavior as gas sensors.
abstract: Indium vanadate (InVO4) gas sensors were fabricated by depositing InVO4 nanoribbons aqueous suspension onto ceramic substrates. Their resistances distinctively increased in the detection of ammonia and propylamine, indicating an n-to-p semiconductor transition. This novel phenomenon of the InVO4-based sensor may be ascribed to the surface doping effect: electrons were trapped by H2O and O2 and produced OH(-) and O2(-) on the InVO4 surface, which resulted in holes overcompensation in the InVO4 valence band. Moreover, the sufficiently large surface-to-volume ratio of these nanoribbons enables fast carrier transfer on the sensor surface. The InVO4 nanoribbons-based sensors had optimum performance at room temperature and enjoyed good restorability. They also had great response to a wide range of target gas concentration, with ultrahigh sensitivities up to 1100% for ammonia and 760% for propylamine.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Functional Nano & Soft Materials (FUNSOM), Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Carbon-based Functional Materials and Devices, Soochow University, Suzhou 215123, PR China.
authors.forename: Shanshan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Fei
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Hu
authors.forename: Jie
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Hanxiao
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Tang
authors.forename: Mingwang
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Shao
mesh_terms: D000641:Ammonia / Q000032:analysis*; D015374:Biosensing Techniques / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods; D005740:Gases / Q000032:analysis*; D007204:Indium / Q000737:chemistry*; D037742:Nanotubes, Carbon / Q000737:chemistry*; D011437:Propylamines / Q000032:analysis*; D014638:Vanadates / Q000737:chemistry*
chemical_list: D005740:Gases; D037742:Nanotubes, Carbon; D011437:Propylamines; D007204:Indium; D014638:Vanadates; D000641:Ammonia