Visible light activation of room temperature NO2 gas sensors based on ZnO, SnO2 and In2O3 sensitized with CdSe quantum dots

This work reports the analysis of visible light activation of room temperature NO2 gas sensitivity of metal oxide semiconductors (MOS): blank and CdSe quantum dots (QDs) sensitized nanocrystalline matrixes ZnO, SnO2 and In2O3. Nanocrystalline metal oxides (MOx) ZnO, SnO2, In2O3 were synthesized by the precipitation method. Colloidal CdSe QDs were obtained by high temperature colloidal synthesis. Sensitization was effectuated by direct adsorption of CdSe QDs stabilized with oleic acid on MOx surface. The role of illumination consists in generation of electrons, which can be transferred into MOx conduction band, and holes that can recombine with the electrons previously trapped by the chemisorbed acceptor species and thus activate desorption of analyte molecules. Under green light illumination for blank SnO2 and In2O3 matrixes the indirect consequential mechanism for the generation of holes is proposed. Another mechanism is realized in the presence of CdSe QDs. In this case the electron-hole pair is generated in the CdSe quantum dot. Sensor measurements demonstrated that synthesized materials can be used for NO2 detection under visible (green) light illumination at room temperature without any thermal heating.