Biomorphic synthesis of ZnSnO3 hollow fibers for gas sensing application

Biomorphic ZnSnO3 hollow fibers have been fabricated using cotton as biotemplates. Cotton fibers are infiltrated with zinc nitrate and stannic chloride solution and subsequently sintered in air at high temperatures to produce the final ZnSnO3 hollow fibers. The samples have further distinctions in structure and morphology by X-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscopy. It showed that all the samples present an orthorhombic structure of high crystallinity, and the hollow fibers were composed of numerous ZnSnO3 nanorods. Furthermore, gas sensors were fabricated and an investigation of ethanol sensing properties has been conducted. The sensor, based on ZnSnO3 hollow fibers calcined at 500 degrees C, shows highly sensitive to ethanol with fast response, good selectivity and stability, indicating its potential applications for environment and food or the drinking status of drivers. (C) 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.