Premium
Rational Design of Highly Porous SnO 2 Nanotubes Functionalized with Biomimetic Nanocatalysts for Direct Observation of Simulated Diabetes
Author(s) -
Jang JiSoo,
Choi SeonJin,
Kim SangJoon,
Hakim Meggie,
Kim IlDoo
Publication year - 2016
Publication title -
advanced functional materials
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 6.069
H-Index - 322
eISSN - 1616-3028
pISSN - 1616-301X
DOI - 10.1002/adfm.201600797
Subject(s) - materials science , calcination , nanotechnology , electrospinning , chemical engineering , porosity , catalysis , polystyrene , ostwald ripening , nanomaterial based catalyst , nanoparticle , polymer , composite material , organic chemistry , chemistry , engineering
1D metal‐oxide nanotube (NT) structures have attracted considerable attention for applications in chemical sensors due to their high surface area and unique chemical and physical properties. Moreover, bimodal pores, i.e., meso‐ and macro‐sized pores, which are formed on the shell of NTs, can further facilitate gas penetration into the sensing layers, leading to much improved sensing properties. However, thin‐walled NTs with bimodal pore distribution have been rarely fabricated due to the limitations of synthetic methods. Here, Ostwald ripening‐driven electrospinning combined with sacrificial templating route using polystyrene (PS) colloid and bioinspired protein is firstly proposed for producing both bi‐modal pores and catalyst‐loaded thin‐walled SnO 2 NTs. Homogeneous catalyst loading on porous SnO 2 NTs is achieved by the protein cage that contains catalysts and PS colloids and protein shells are thermally decomposed during calcination of electrospun fibers, resulting in the creation of dual‐sized pores on NTs. Pt catalyst decorated porous SnO 2 NTs (Pt‐PS_SnO 2 NTs) show exceptionally high acetone gas response, superior selectivity against other interfering gases, and very low limit of detection (10 ppb) to simulated diabetic acetone molecules. More importantly, sensor arrays assembled with developed porous SnO 2 NTs enable the direct distinction between the simulated diabetic breath and normal breath from healthy people.