Co3O4 hollow nanotubes: Facile synthesis and gas sensing properties

Co3O4 hollow nanotubes are synthesized by a facile solution route at room temperature followed by a suitable thermal treatment and are developed for formaldehyde (HCHO) gas sensor. The morphology and composition characterizations by SEM, TEM, XRD and EDX mapping demonstrate that the as-prepared Co3O4 hollow nanotube walls are rough and composed of nanoparticles. And gas sensing properties of Co3O4 nanotubes are also investigated. The results indicate that the Co3O4 sensor exhibits superior sensitivity, fast response and recovery time towards 50 ppm formaldehyde (HCHO) at lower operating temperature. The facile synthesis method and excellent gas sensing performances make as-prepared Co3O4 nanotubes developed for formaldehyde (HCHO) gas detection in practice.