Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2024 Sep 27;19(1):157.
doi: 10.1186/s11671-024-04112-7.

Ternary TiO2/MoS2/ZnO hetero-nanostructure based multifunctional sensing devices

Andrew F Zhou  1 , Soraya Y Flores  2 , Elluz Pacheco  2 , Xiaoyan Peng  3 , Susannah G Zhang  4 , Peter X Feng  5
Affiliations

Ternary TiO2/MoS2/ZnO hetero-nanostructure based multifunctional sensing devices

Andrew F Zhou et al. Discov Nano. .

Abstract

Novel sensing applications benefit from multifunctional nanomaterials responsive to various external stimuli such as mechanics, electricity, light, humidity, or pollution. While few such materials occur naturally, the careful design of synergized nanomaterials unifies the cross-coupled properties which are weak or absent in single-phase materials. In this study, 2D MoS2 integrated with ultrathin dielectric oxide layers forms hetero-nanostructures with significant impacts on carrier transport. The ternary TiO2/MoS2/ZnO hetero-nanostructures, along with their individual properties, improve the performance of multifunctional sensing devices. The synthesized hetero-nanostructure exhibits a responsivity of up to 16 mA/W to 700 nm light and responds to 5 ppm ammonia gas at room temperature. These enhancements are attributed to interface charge transfer and photogating effects. The ternary TiO2/MoS2/ZnO hetero-nanostructure is compatible with existing semiconductor fabrication technologies, making it feasible to integrate into flexible, lightweight semiconductor devices and circuits. These results may inspire new photodetectors and sensing devices based on two-dimensional (2D) layered materials for IoT applications.

Keywords: Gas sensor; Molybdenum disulfide; Multifunctional sensor; Photodetector; Ternary hetero-nanostructure; Titanium dioxide; Two-dimensional material; Zinc oxide.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no competing interests.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Scanning electron microscope (SEM) images of the sample with a a MoS2 layer deposited on TiO2 coated Si substrate, and b a ZnO layer on top of TiO2/MoS2 composite. All scale bars 2 μm. c Optical image of the MoS2 sample
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
EDX of a TiO2/MoS2, and b TiO2/MoS2/ZnO composite
Fig. 3
Fig. 3
Raman spectra of a TiO/MoS2, and b TiO/MoS2/ZnO
Fig. 4
Fig. 4
a Typical I–V characteristics of the prototype. Photocurrents of the prototype to light of different colors of the same intensity with b 2 V bias, and c 0 V bias. The estimated d rise time τon, and e recovery time τoff to red light with 0 V bias at room temperature
Fig. 5
Fig. 5
a Response of the prototype following the variation of the distance D between the prototype and the red light source, and b the corresponding photocurrent as a function of red-light illumination density
Fig. 6
Fig. 6
Performance of the self-powered prototype to the same intensity of red light illumination with different load resistances: a Time response, b the output photovoltage, and c the output photocurrent
Fig. 7
Fig. 7
a The responses of the prototype at room temperature to 10 ppm NO2 gas, and b the relationship between the response strength and the NO2 gas concentrations at room temperature and 5 V bias
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

    1. Wang J, Lim MK, Wang C, Tseng ML. The evolution of the Internet of Things (IoT) over the past 20 years. Comput Ind Eng. 2021;155:107174.
    1. Jamshed MA, Ali K, Abbasi QH, Imran MA, Ur-Rehman M. Challenges, applications, and future of wireless sensors in Internet of Things: a review. IEEE Sens J. 2022;22(6):5482–94.
    1. Aslam A, Mehmood U, Arshad MH, Ishfaq A, Zaheer J, Khan AUH, Sufyan M. Dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) as a potential photovoltaic technology for the self-powered internet of things (IoTs) applications. Sol Energy. 2020;207:874–92.
    1. Yang Y, Guo X, Zhu M, Sun Z, Zhang Z, He T, Lee C. Triboelectric nanogenerator enabled wearable sensors and electronics for sustainable internet of things integrated green earth. Adv Energy Mater. 2023;13(1):2203040.
    1. Portilla L, Loganathan K, Faber H, Eid A, Hester JG, Tentzeris MM, Fattori M, Cantatore E, Jiang C, Nathan A, Fiori G. Wirelessly powered large-area electronics for the Internet of Things. Nat Electronics. 2023;6(1):10–7.

LinkOut - more resources