Different morphologies of ZnO and their ethanol sensing property

Different morphologies of ZnO nanomaterials (long nanofibers, rod-like short nanofibers and nano-powders) were successfully synthesized by electrospinning process and chemical precipitation, respectively. A comparative ethanol sensing study among the three samples were also performed. The results indicate that the ZnO long nanofiber sensor shows desirable response to ethanol at 270 °C with good stability, which is attributed to the long nanofiber structures. This sample also presents good selectivity and fast response–recovery properties (7–9 and 9–11 s, respectively). The ethanol sensing mechanism and the advantages of the long nanofiber structure in sensing materials were also discussed.