Synthesis of Pr doped In2O3 nanoparticles and their enhanced ethanol gas-sensing performance

Rare earth doping was an effective method to upgrade the gas-sensing performance of sensors based on oxide semiconductors. In this paper, Pr was successfully doped into In2O3 nanomaterials with a facile co-precipitation approach through a hydrothermal strategy. The as-obtained series of Pr doped In2O3 nanocomposites were analyzed by some technical characterization. The gas-sensing tests were performed by using series of Pr/In2O3 nanocomposites as sensitive materials. The results illustrated that the doping of Pr not only reduced the particle size of Pr/In2O3 nanocomposites but also produced more active oxygen on the surface of In2O3, thus, the responses of Pr/In2O3-based sensors towards ethanol gas (112.40–50 ppm) were enhanced. A possible mechanism for the improved gas-sensing property of Pr decorated In2O3 sensors was proposed.