Effect of 3.0 wt% Indium doping on ethanol sensing properties of nanocrystalline Bi2O3

Abstract

Nanocrystalline powders of pure and 3.0 wt% indium doped Bismuth oxide (Bi2O3) were prepared by ethyl alcohol mediated decomposition route. The prepared samples were then characterized in order to investigate the structural, electrical and reducing gas sensing properties of pure and In doped Bismuth oxide. X-ray diffraction (XRD) was used to confirm the material structure and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) to depict the crystallite microstructure. Bismuth oxide based thick films were expose to study the conductance response of different reducing gases such as like liquefied petroleum  (LPG), ammonia (NH3), hydrogen sulfide (H2S), and ethanol gas (C2H5OH) etc. The sensor exhibited various sensing responses to these gases at different operating temperatures. From result it is found that 3.0 wt% In-doped Bi2O3 shows the maximum response to 50 ppm ethanol at 260 0C also fast response and good recovery are the main features of investigated sensors.