ZnO/GaN n-n heterojunction porous nanosheets for ppb-level NO2 gas sensors

The development of NO2 gas sensors with lower operating temperature and good thermal stability is always a challenge to solve. In this work, 2D loose porous ZnO/GaN heterogeneous nanosheets were synthesized by ultrasonic mixing, in which ZnO nanosheets and GaN nanoparticles were prepared by hydrothermal method and solid-state pyrolysis, respectively. BET characterization result showed that the specific surface area of loose porous ZnO nanosheets was 57.24 m2/g, and XPS tests proved that the formation of heterogeneous interface between ZnO and GaN can effectively increase the number of negative oxygen ion species on the surface. Noticeably, 15 mol % ZnO/GaN composites (Ga:Zn) exhibited the highest response of 134.5–2 ppm of NO2 at 125 °C and lower limit of detection of 20 ppb. Furthermore, it showed outstanding selectivity, repeatability and long-term stability. The excellent gas-sensing properties can be attributed to the loose porous structure of ZnO and the formation of n-n heterojunction between ZnO and GaN. The gas-sensing mechanism of ZnO/GaN composites to NO2 was also discussed in detail.