Facile fabrication and superior gas sensing properties of spongelike Co-doped ZnO microspheres for ethanol sensors

In this work, a novel strategy has been adopted for the synthesis of hybrid Co-doped ZnO (Co/ZnO) microspheres using the solvothermal method with a synergistic effect of ultrasonic and microwave radiation. The Co/ZnO microspheres were characterized by XRD, FE-SEM, XPS and BET techniques. Sensing tests revealed that the Co/ZnO microspheres exhibited highly better ethanol sensing properties than pure ZnO nanoparticles did, including lower limit of detection (less than 10 ppm), higher response (ca. 120-100 ppm ethanol), lower operating temperature (ca. 220 °C), faster response (10 s) and recovery time (5 s) and better selectivity. The superior gas sensing properties were mainly attributed to the incorporation of Co, which increased the amount of oxygen vacancies and adsorbed oxygen. The sensing mechanism has been explained by oxygen chemisorption on the ZnO surfaces and subsequent reactions of surface adsorbed oxygen species with the ethanol molecules.