Preparation and gas-sensing performance of In2O3 porous nanoplatelets

In2O3 porous nanoplatelets were successfully synthesized by solvothermal treatment of indium acetylacetonate, followed by calcination in air. X-ray diffraction and Raman spectrum measurements demonstrate that the products are pure cubic phase In2O3. Scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy analyses reveal that the In2O3 nanoplatelets bounded by {1 1 0} planes with thickness less than 6 nm and length about 20–50 nm are single crystalline but with porous structure. The optical absorption property of the In2O3 nanoplatelets was investigated by UV–vis spectroscopy, which indicates that the In2O3 nanoplatelets are semiconducting with a direct band gap of 3.1 eV. The gas sensing performance of the as-prepared In2O3 porous nanoplatelets was investigated towards a series of typical organic solvents and fuels. It was found that the In2O3 porous nanoplatelets show structure-induced enhancement of gas sensing performance, and especially possess high sensitivity and rapid response towards ethanol vapor.