CO2 gas detection by hydrothermally synthesized nanostructured ZrSe2 sensors and their characterization
摘要
In this study, zirconium diselenide (ZrSe2) was synthesized through a hydrothermal route by varying the molar ratios of zirconium oxychloride (ZrOCl2·8H2O), serving as the zirconium source, and sodium selenite (Na2SeO3·5H2O), used as the selenium precursor. Cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) acted as the surfactant, while hydrazine hydrate was employed as the reducing agent. The resulting nanostructured ZrSe2 thick films were deposited onto glass substrates using the screen-printing technique. A hexagonal crystal structure with an average crystallite size of around 21.64 nm was confirmed by X-ray diffraction (XRD) study. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) revealed the presence of spherical grains oriented in different directions, with voids contributing to surface porosity. The gas-sensing behaviour of the synthesized ZrSe2 sensors was tested against several gases, including NO2, H2S, CO2, NH3, LPG, ethanol (C2H6O), and methanol (CH3OH), under different conditions. Among all compositions, the film prepared with a 0.1:0.5 M precursor ratio exhibited the best response toward CO2, showing a sensitivity of 83.44% at 160 °C for a 500ppm concentration.