Enhancement of electrical properties in the cuprous oxide films doped with single wall carbon nanotubes

Cuprous oxide films doped with single wall carbon nanotubes (SWNTs) were successfully synthesized via two-step processes of electrochemical co-deposition and thermal oxidation. SWNTs were uniformly dispersed and cross-linked in the cuprous oxide matrix. The electrical conductivity of the cuprous oxide films doped with SWNTs increased more by a factor of eight than that of the pure cuprous oxide. With the help of the conductivity enhancement, the former showed higher gas sensitivity than the latter for the concentration of NO₂ gas in the range of 3 ~ 9 ppm at 110°C. The increased gas sensitivity was ascribed to the enhanced electrical conductivity with the incorporation of p-type SWNTs in the p-type cuprous oxide films.