Chemiresistive gas sensor based on MoWS alloy nanoparticles with good selectivity and ppb-level limit of detection to ammonia.

Transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs) are promising materials for chemiresistive gas sensor, while TMD alloys (two chalcogenide or/and metal elements) with tunable electronic structures have drawn little attention in gas sensing. Herein, MoWS alloy nanoparticles (NPs) were prepared by a facile sonication exfoliation method and then tested for ammonia sensing. The crystal structure, geometric morphology, and elemental composition of MoWS NPs were investigated. The gas sensing measurements demonstrated MoWS NPs with good response to ammonia at 80 °C with a limit of detection down to 500 part per billion (ppb). The sensor also displayed good stability as well as superb selectivity to ammonia in the presence of interferences, such as methanol, acetone, benzene, and cyclohexane. The theoretical calculations revealed Mo and W atoms at edges (such as MoWS (010)) of sheet-like NPs as the active sites for ammonia adsorption. Electrons donated by the adsorbed ammonia were combined with holes in p-type MoWS NPs, and the concentration of the main charge carrier was reduced, resulting in resistance enhancement.