Synthesis of novel layer-packed In2O3 nanostructures and their application in gas sensor for detecting indoor air contaminants

A novel layer-packed In₂O₃ nanostructure and its application in gas sensor for the detection of indoor air contaminants were reported. The special In₂O₃ nanomaterials were prepared by annealing In₂S₃ precursors synthesized via a surfactant-assisted assembly route. The influencing factors towards the morphology of In₂S₃ precursors were also investigated. In gas-sensing measurements, typical indoor air contaminants, including formaldehyde, ammonia, and benzene were employed as target gases. We found that the as-fabricated sensor exhibited a sensitive property to analytes, especially towards formaldehyde. Besides, by using principal component analysis (PCA) and comparison on kinetic processes of gas adsorption-desorption, the gas sensor show a significantly selective performance due to the special layer-packed structure, which enable it to be promisingly applied for environmental monitoring towards indoor air contaminants.