Novel Gas Sensing Approach: ReS<sub>2</sub>/Ti<sub>3</sub>C<sub>2</sub>T<sub><i>x</i></sub> Heterostructures for NH<sub>3</sub> Detection in Humid Environments
Sahil Gasso, Jake Carrier, Daniela R. Radu, Cheng‐Yu Lai
Abstract
Continuous monitoring of ammonia (NH 3 ) in humid environments poses a notable challenge for gas sensing applications because of its effect on sensor sensitivity. The present work investigates the detection of NH 3 in a natural humid environment utilizing ReS 2 /Ti 3 C 2 T x heterostructures as a sensing platform. ReS 2 nanosheets were vertically grown on the surface of Ti 3 C 2 T x sheets through a hydrothermal synthetic approach, resulting in the formation of ReS 2 /Ti 3 C 2 T x heterostructures. The structural, morphological, and optical properties of ReS 2 /Ti 3 C 2 T x were investigated using various state-of-the-art techniques, including scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, zeta potential, Brunauer–Emmett–Teller technique, and Raman spectroscopy. The heterostructures exhibited 1.3- and 8-fold increases in specific surface area compared with ReS 2 and Ti 3 C 2 T x, respectively, potentially enhancing the active gas adsorption sites. The electrical investigations of the ReS 2 /Ti 3 C 2 T x -based sensor demonstrated enhanced selectivity and superior sensing response ranging from 7.8 to 12.4% toward 10 ppm of NH 3 within a relative humidity range of 15–85% at room temperature. These findings highlight the synergistic effect of ReS 2 and Ti 3 C 2 T x, offering valuable insights for NH 3 sensing in environments with high humidity, and are explained in the gas sensing mechanism.