CTAB assisted growth and characterization of nanocrystalline CuO films by ultrasonic spray pyrolysis technique

► Effect of CTAB on the structural and morphological properties of CuO films. ► CTAB assisted CuO films show an increase in activation energy of conduction. ► CTAB doped CuO films show good sensitivity for NH3 at room temperature. ► Two adsorption models used for exploring the kinetics of sensing mechanism.