ENHANCING THE GAS SENSING PERFORMANCE OF ZIF-8-COATED ZNO BY NICKEL DOPING

Abstract

This research aims to develop a novel gas sensor with improved sensitivity by synthesizing Ni-doped ZnO nanorods coated with Zeolitic Imidazolate Framework-8 (ZIF-8). The study expands on the topic of metal oxide semiconductor (MOS) gas sensors and their sensing mechanisms, followed by the synthesis of ZnO nanorods via hydrothermal methods and subsequent modification through Ni doping and ZIF-8 coating using hydrothermal and solvothermal techniques, respectively. The structural, morphological, and optoelectronic properties of the prepared sensor materials were analyzed and optimized using techniques such as SEM, TEM, EDS, XRD, XPS, and UV-Vis spectroscopy. Preliminary gas sensing performance for hydrogen gas was evaluated using a gas measurement system. Initial morphological characterization of ZnO nanorods grown using magnetron sputtering and hydrothermal methods, including the impact of HMTA:Zn precursor ratio and Ni doping on nanorod dimensions, is presented. The integration of Ni doping to enhance sensitivity and ZIF-8 coating to improve surface area and selectivity through molecular sieving is anticipated to yield a high-performance gas sensor for targeted applications. Further research work will be done for the completion of the sensing tests for all synthesized samples, including the Ni-doped ZnO@ZIF-8 nanorods.