Zhou Chilou, Ye Zhiqiu, Tan Yue, Wu Zhenghua, Guo Xinyi, Bai Yinglin, Xie Xuying, Wu Zilong, Feng Ji'an, Xu Yao, Deng Bo, Wu Hao
School of Mechanical and Automobile Engineering, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou 510641, China.
Guangdong Institute of Special Equipment Inspection and Research, Foshan 510655, China.
Nanomaterials (Basel). 2025 Jan 16;15(2):124. doi: 10.3390/nano15020124.
Metal oxide semiconductor (MOS) hydrogen sensors offer advantages, such as high sensitivity and fast response, but their challenges remain in achieving low-cost fabrication and stable operation at room temperature. This study investigates Nb-doped TiO (NTO) thin films prepared via a one-step micro-arc oxidation (MAO) with the addition of NbO nanoparticles into the electrolyte for room-temperature hydrogen sensing. The characterization results revealed that the incorporation of NbO altered the film's morphology and phase composition, increasing the Nb content and forming a homogeneous composite thin film. Hydrogen sensing tests demonstrated that the NTO samples exhibited significantly improved sensitivity, selectivity, and stability compared to undoped TiO. Among the fabricated samples, NTO thin film prepared at NbO concentration of 6 g/L (NTO-6) showed the best performance, with a broad detection range, excellent sensitivity, rapid response, and good specificity to hydrogen. A strong linear relationship between response values and hydrogen concentration (10-1000 ppm) highlights its potential for precise hydrogen detection. The enhanced hydrogen sensing mechanism of NTO thin films primarily stems from the influence of NbO; nanoparticles doping in the anatase-phase TiO structure on the semiconductor surface depletion layer, as well as the improved charge transfer and additional adsorption sites provided by the Nb/Ti composite metal oxides, such as TiNbO and TiNbO. This study demonstrates the potential of MAO-fabricated Nb-doped TiO thin films as efficient and reliable hydrogen sensors operating at room temperature, offering a pathway for novel gas-sensing technologies to support clean energy applications.
金属氧化物半导体（MOS）氢传感器具有高灵敏度和快速响应等优点，但其在实现低成本制造和室温下稳定运行方面仍面临挑战。本研究调查了通过一步微弧氧化（MAO）制备的掺铌二氧化钛（NTO）薄膜，该方法是在电解液中添加氧化铌纳米颗粒以用于室温氢传感。表征结果表明，氧化铌的掺入改变了薄膜的形态和相组成，增加了铌含量并形成了均匀的复合薄膜。氢传感测试表明，与未掺杂的二氧化钛相比，NTO样品的灵敏度、选择性和稳定性显著提高。在所制备的样品中，氧化铌浓度为6 g/L时制备的NTO薄膜（NTO-6）表现出最佳性能，具有宽检测范围、优异的灵敏度、快速响应以及对氢气的良好特异性。响应值与氢气浓度（10 - 1000 ppm）之间的强线性关系突出了其精确检测氢气的潜力。NTO薄膜增强的氢传感机制主要源于氧化铌纳米颗粒掺杂在锐钛矿相二氧化钛结构中对半导体表面耗尽层的影响，以及铌/钛复合金属氧化物（如TiNbO和TiNbO）提供的改善的电荷转移和额外的吸附位点。本研究证明了通过微弧氧化制备的掺铌二氧化钛薄膜作为高效可靠的室温氢传感器的潜力，为支持清洁能源应用的新型气敏技术提供了一条途径。
