Fast recovery triethylamine gas sensor with low detection limit based on NiTiO3–In2O3

Triethylamine poses significant risks to human health, making it crucial to develop a triethylamine gas sensor with excellent performance for triethylamine detection. In this study, NiTiO3-modified In2O3 (NiTiO3–In2O3) materials with different ratios were prepared using a hydrothermal method. Among them, the 1 % NiTiO3–In2O3 material exhibited the best performance. The gas sensor showed high sensitivity (361) towards 100 ppm triethylamine gas at 250 °C, excellent selectivity, and a low detection limit (30 ppb). The crystal phases, elemental composition, and microstructure of the prepared compounds were observed using SEM, EDS, TEM, and XRD. Based on the characterization results, a detailed analysis of the gas sensing mechanism was conducted. The significant improvement in the sensing performance towards triethylamine can be ascribed to the alterations in surface characteristics and electron behavior induced by heterojunction formation, the catalytic efficacy of NiTiO3, and the cooperative interaction between these two constituents.