title: Synthesis, Characterization and Gas Sensing Properties of Ag@α-Fe₂O₃ Core-Shell Nanocomposites.
abstract: Ag@α-Fe₂O₃ nanocomposite having a core-shell structure was synthesized by a two-step reduction-sol gel approach, including Ag nanoparticles synthesis by sodium borohydride as the reducing agent in a first step and the subsequent mixing with a Fe+3sol for α-Fe₂O₃ coating. The synthesized Ag@α-Fe₂O₃ nanocomposite has been characterized by various techniques, such as SEM, TEM and UV-Vis spectroscopy. The electrical and gas sensing properties of the synthesized composite towards low concentrations of ethanol have been evaluated. The Ag@α-Fe₂O₃ nanocomposite showed better sensing characteristics than the pure α-Fe₂O₃. The peculiar hierarchical nano-architecture and the chemical and electronic sensitization effect of Ag nanoparticles in Ag@α-Fe₂O₃ sensors were postulated to play a key role in modulating gas-sensing properties in comparison to pristine α-Fe₂O₃ sensors.
authors.affiliation: Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Shiraz University, 71946-85115 Shiraz, Iran. alisonmirzaee@yahoo.com.
authors.forename: Ali
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Mirzaei
authors.affiliation: Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Shiraz University, 71946-85115 Shiraz, Iran. janghor@shirazu.ac.ir.
authors.forename: Kamal
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Janghorban
authors.affiliation: Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Shiraz University, 71946-85115 Shiraz, Iran. hashemib@shirazu.ac.ir.
authors.forename: Babak
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Hashemi
authors.affiliation: Department of Electronic Engineering, Chemistry and Industrial Engineering, University of Messina, C.da di Dio, 98166 Messina, Italy. abonavita@unime.it.
authors.forename: Anna
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bonavita
authors.affiliation: Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Shiraz University, 71946-85115 Shiraz, Iran. maryam.bonyani@gmail.com.|Department of Electronic Engineering, Chemistry and Industrial Engineering, University of Messina, C.da di Dio, 98166 Messina, Italy. maryam.bonyani@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Maryam
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bonyani
authors.affiliation: Department of Electronic Engineering, Chemistry and Industrial Engineering, University of Messina, C.da di Dio, 98166 Messina, Italy. leonardis@unime.it.
authors.forename: Salvatore Gianluca
authors.initials: SG
authors.lastname: Leonardi
authors.affiliation: Department of Electronic Engineering, Chemistry and Industrial Engineering, University of Messina, C.da di Dio, 98166 Messina, Italy. gneri@unime.it.
authors.forename: Giovanni
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Neri
keywords: Ag@α-Fe2O3; core–shell; ethanol; gas sensor; nanocomposite; synthesis