Rare earth element‐doped porous In ₂ O ₃ nanosheets for enhanced gas‐sensing performance

Abstract

Abstract Rare earth (La, Pr, Sm, Ce and Yb)‐doped porous In 2 O 3 nanosheets are prepared by a solvothermal method. The effect of rare earth elements on the structure, morphologies and gas‐sensing performance of In 2 O 3 nanosheets is systematically investigated. The mixed phase composed of c‐In 2 O 3 and rh‐In 2 O 3 can be transformed into rh‐In 2 O 3 by doping with rare earth elements. After doping with rare earth elements, the morphology can be changed from compact nanosheets to porous sheets. Compared with pure In 2 O 3 and La, Pr, Sm, Ce‐doped porous In 2 O 3 nanosheets, Yb‐doped In 2 O 3 nanosheets present the best gas‐sensing performance. Among 3%–10% Yb‐doped samples, 6% Yb‐doped In 2 O 3 porous nanosheets exhibit the optimal gas‐sensing performance to 5 × 10 −6 –750 × 10 −6 acetone, giving a high response of 15.3 toward 50 × 10 −6 acetone and fast response/recovery time at the operating temperature of 220 °C. Moreover, 6% Yb‐doped porous In 2 O 3 nanosheet sensor also exhibits excellent selectivity and stability, indicating its potential in the next‐generation gas sensor.