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Transition‐Metal‐Doped p‐Type ZnO Nanoparticle‐Based Sensory Array for Instant Discrimination of Explosive Vapors
Author(s) -
Qu Jiang,
Ge Yuru,
Zu Baiyi,
Li Yuxiang,
Dou Xincun
Publication year - 2016
Publication title -
small
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 3.785
H-Index - 236
eISSN - 1613-6829
pISSN - 1613-6810
DOI - 10.1002/smll.201503131
Subject(s) - explosive material , chemiresistor , materials science , doping , transition metal , nanotechnology , explosive detection , optoelectronics , chemistry , organic chemistry , catalysis
The development of portable, real‐time, and cheap platforms to monitor ultratrace levels of explosives is of great urgence and importance due to the threat of terrorism attacks and the need for homeland security. However, most of the previous chemiresistor sensors for explosive detection are suffering from limited responses and long response time. Here, a transition‐metal‐doping method is presented to remarkably promote the quantity of the surface defect states and to significantly reduce the charge transfer distance by creating a local charge reservoir layer. Thus, the sensor response is greatly enhanced and the response time is remarkably shortened. The resulting sensory array can not only detect military explosives, such as, TNT, DNT, PNT, PA, and RDX with high response, but also can fully distinguish some of the improvised explosive vapors, such as AN and urea, due to the huge response reaching to 100%. Furthermore, this sensory array can discriminate ppb‐level TNT and ppt‐level RDX from structurally similar and high‐concentration interfering aromatic gases in less than 12 s. Through comparison with the previously reported chemiresistor or Schottky sensors for explosive detection, the present transition‐metal‐doping method resulting ZnO sensor stands out and undoubtedly challenges the best.