Synergetic effect of highly active Ce sites and interlayer engineering induced by Ce doping of SnS2 to enhance gas sensing of NO2

SnS2 has been widely studied as a gas sensing material due to its special layer stacking structure. However, high baseline resistance and poor sensitivity at low operating temperatures remain a challenge. Herein, substitute doped Ce–SnS2 was effectively prepared by a facile solvothermal method, the interlayer spacing of Ce–SnS2 was significantly enlarged compared with that of pristine SnS2 and demonstrated outstanding gas sensing performance for NO2. At a low temperature of 100 °C, it exhibited a significant gas sensing response to 500 ppb NO2, with a response value of 1.67, while pristine SnS2 showed no gas sensing response. The gas sensing enhancement mechanism was revealed by DFT, the synergistic effect of the introduction of highly active Ce sites and interlayer engineering caused by the doping of Ce improved the gas sensing performance of Ce–SnS2. This study not only provides a potent means for enhancing the gas sensing capabilities of SnS2 sensors, but also opens up new horizons for the interlayer engineering of transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs) material.