Abstract
In this study, the effect of cerium (Ce) concentration on humidity sensing performance of humidity sensors based on Ce-doped zinc oxide nanostructure was investigated. Undoped ZnO (uZnO) and Ce-doped zinc oxide (CZO) nanoparticles were synthesized by sol–gel method. X-ray diffraction analyzes revealed that all nanostructures have a hexagonal wurtzite crystal structure and preferential orientation along the (002) plane. Scanning electron microscopy micrographs showed that there are homogeneously and uniformly distributed nanosized grains and capillary-nanopores on the surfaces of nanostructures. The energy dispersive x-ray spectroscopy analyzes confirmed the presence of zinc, oxygen and Ce elements in the nanostructures. The relative humidity (RH) sensing performances of uZnO and CZO nanostructured sensors were determined by means of electrical resistance measurements in the range of 40–90% RH at room temperature. The humidity sensing performance of the zinc oxide (ZnO) nanostructured sensor was significantly increased by Ce doping. All of the CZO sensors showed very high sensitivity to humidity and very short response and recovery times were achieved. It has been determined that 3 mol% Ce-doped ZnO has the best crystallite quality, the highest humidity sensitivity with a ratio of 7490 in the range of 40–90% RH, and the fastest times with a response time of 0.8 s and a recovery time of 4.7 s. This study clearly showed that CZO nanostructures, which we produce easily and at low cost, have the ideal humidity sensor potential and therefore have a bright future for humidity sensor applications.
Similar content being viewed by others
Data availability
The datasets generated during and/or analysed during the current study are available from the corresponding author on reasonable request.
References
S. Zeng, Q. Pan, Z. Huang, C. Gu, T. Wang, J. Xu, Z. Yan, F. Zhao, P. Li, Y. Tu, Y. Fan, L. Chen, Mater. Des. 226, 111683 (2023)
Y. Cheng, Y. Xiong, M. Pan, L. Li, L. Dong, Mater. Lett. 330, 133268 (2023)
M.T.S. Chani, Int. J. Biol. Macromol. 194, 377 (2022)
X. Le, L. Peng, J. Pang, Z. Xu, C. Gao, J. Xie, Sens. Actuators B Chem. 283, 198 (2019)
J. Wang, W. Zeng, J. Sens. 2022, 1–29 (2022)
K.P. Biju, M.K. Jain, Sens. Actuators B Chem. 128, 407 (2008)
S. Kozhukharov, Z. Nenova, T. Nenov, N. Nedev, M. Machkova, Sens. Actuators B Chem. 210, 676 (2015)
C. Sun, Q. Shi, M.S. Yazici, C. Lee, Y. Liu, Sens. (Switzerland). 18, 1 (2018)
J. Wang, M.Y. Su, J.Q. Qi, L.Q. Chang, Sens. Actuators B Chem. 139, 418 (2009)
C. Wang, Y. Wang, Proceedings of the 6th International Conference on Electronic, Mechanical, Information and Management Society (Atlantis Press, 2016), p. 873
Q. Qi, T. Zhang, S. Wang, X. Zheng, Sens. Actuators B Chem. 137, 649 (2009)
K.O. Zheng, N. Rosli, M.M. Mohd, Rashid, M.M. Halim, Phys. B Condens. Matter. 648, 414425 (2023)
T. Okada, B.H. Agung, Y. Nakata, Appl. Phys. A Mater. Sci. Process. 79, 1417 (2004)
J.L. Gomez, O. Tigli, J. Mater. Sci. 48, 612 (2013)
K. Iwata, H. Tampo, A. Yamada, P. Fons, K. Matsubara, K. Sakurai, S. Ishizuka, S. Niki, Appl. Surf. Sci. 244, 504 (2005)
J.N. Hasnidawani, H.N. Azlina, H. Norita, N.N. Bonnia, S. Ratim, E.S. Ali, Procedia Chem. 19, 211 (2016)
S. Yu, H. Zhang, C. Lin, M. Bian, Curr. Appl. Phys. 19, 82 (2019)
J.H. Lee, B.O. Park, Thin Solid Films. 426, 94 (2003)
N. Fifere, A. Airinei, D. Timpu, A. Rotaru, L. Sacarescu, L. Ursu, J. Alloys Compd. 757, 60 (2018)
M. Anbia, S.E.M. Fard, J. Rare Earths. 30, 38 (2012)
Akshata, Sangeetha, Dhanush, and S. Acharya, Mater. Today: Proc. 55, 109 (2022)
J.J. Vijaya, L.J. Kennedy, G. Sekaran, B. Jeyaraj, K.S. Nagaraja, Sens. Actuators B Chem. 123, 211 (2007)
X.Q. Wei, B.Y. Man, M. Liu, C.S. Xue, H.Z. Zhuang, C. Yang, Phys. B Condens. Matter. 388, 145 (2007)
K.S. Usha, R. Sivakumar, C. Sanjeeviraja, J. Vivekanandan, Mater. Chem. Phys. 294, 127007 (2022)
B.G. Choi, I.H. Kim, D.H. Kim, K.S. Lee, T.S. Lee, B. Cheong, Y.J. Baik, W.M. Kim, J. Eur. Ceram. Soc. 25, 2161 (2005)
M.S. Kim, T.H. Kim, D.Y. Kim, G.S. Kim, H.Y. Choi, M.Y. Cho, S.M. Jeon, J.S. Kim, J.S. Kim, D.Y. Lee, J.S. Son, J.I. Lee, J.H. Kim, E. Kim, D.W. Hwang, J.Y. Leem, J. Cryst. Growth. 311, 3568 (2009)
Y. Yang, J. Liang, Z. Zhang, C. Tian, X. Wu, Y. Zheng, Y. Huang, J. Wang, Z. Zhou, M. He, Z. Chen, C.C. Chen, ChemSusChem 15(6), e202102474. (2022)
N.H. Hashim, S. Subramani, M. Devarajan, A.R. Ibrahim, J. Aust Ceram. Soc. 53, 421 (2017)
A. Ouhaibi, M. Ghamnia, M.A. Dahamni, V. Heresanu, C. Fauquet, D. Tonneau, J. Sci. Adv. Mater. Devices. 3, 29 (2018)
R. Yousefi, F. Jamali-Sheini, M. Cheraghizade, S. Khosravi-Gandomani, A. Sáaedi, N.M. Huang, W.J. Basirun, M. Azarang, Mater. Sci. Semicond. Process. 32, 152 (2015)
S.Y. Kuo, W.C. Chen, F.I. Lai, C.P. Cheng, H.C. Kuo, S.C. Wang, W.F. Hsieh, J. Cryst. Growth. 287, 78 (2006)
K.M. Kang, Y. Wang, M. Kim, C. Lee, H.H. Park, Appl. Surf. Sci. 535, 147734 (2021)
M. Yarahmadi, H. Maleki-Ghaleh, M.E. Mehr, Z. Dargahi, F. Rasouli, M.H. Siadati, J. Alloys Compd. 853, 157000 (2021)
S. Suwanboon, W. Somraksa, P. Amornpitoksuk, C. Randorn, J. Alloys Compd. 832, 154963 (2020)
R. Phillips, K. Jolley, Y. Zhou, R. Smith, Carbon Trends 5, 1001 (2021)
K. Pradeev Raj, K. Sadaiyandi, A. Kennedy, R. Thamizselvi, Mater. Chem. Phys. 183, 24 (2016)
P. Scherrer, Nachr. Ges Wiss Göttingen. 26, 98 (1918)
J.I. Langford, A.J.C. Wilson, J. Appl. Crystallogr. 11, 102 (1978)
V. Uvarov, I. Popov, Mater. Charact. 85, 111 (2013)
C. Manoharan, G. Pavithra, M. Bououdina, S. Dhanapandian, P. Dhamodharan, Appl. Nanosci. 6, 815 (2016)
J.R. Ares, A. Pascual, I.J. Ferrer, C. Sánchez, Thin Solid Films. 480–481, 477 (2005)
P. Kumar, B.K. Singh, B.N. Pal, P.C. Pandey, Appl. Phys. A Mater. Sci. Process. 122, 1 (2016)
L. Maria Jose, S. Anna Thomas, A. Aravind, Y.R. Ma, S. Anil, Kadam, Inorg. Chem. Commun. 147, 110208 (2023)
W.P. Tai, J.H. Oh, J. Mater. Sci. Mater. Electron. 13, 391 (2002)
W.P. Tai, J.H. Oh, Thin Solid Films. 422, 220 (2002)
K. Sen Chou, T.K. Lee, F.J. Liu, Sens. Actuators B Chem. 56, 106 (1999)
N.D.M. Sin, S. Ahmad, M.F. Malek, M.H. Mamat, M. Rusop, IOP Conf. Ser. Mater. Sci. Eng. 46, 3805–3815 (2013)
V.K. Tomer, S. Duhan, P.V. Adhyapak, I.S. Mulla, J. Am. Ceram. Soc. 98, 741 (2015)
N.D.M. Sin, N. Samsudin, S. Ahmad, M.H. Mamat, M. Rusop, Procedia Eng. 56, 801 (2013)
J. Wu, Y. Chen, W. Shen, Y. Wu, J.-P. Corriou, Ceram. Int. 49, 2204 (2022)
K.P. Biju, M.K. Jain, Thin Solid Films. 516, 2175 (2008)
V. Verma, N.K. Pandey, P. Gupta, K. Singh, P. Singh, Phys. B Condens. Matter. 619, 413224 (2021)
S.S. Shanawad, B. Chethan, V. Prasad, A. Sunilkumar, V.S. Veena, J. Mater. Sci. Mater. Electron. 34, 1 (2023)
A.K. Khaleel, L.K. Abbas, Optik (Stuttg). 272, 170288 (2023)
Y.F. Jiang, C.Y. Guo, X.F. Zhang, X.L. Cheng, L.H. Huo, T.T. Wang, Y.M. Xu, Rare Met. 42, 56 (2023)
M.X. Chong, C.T. Li, L.X. Zhang, L.J. Bie, Sens. Actuators Phys. 351, 114153 (2023)
A.S.R.A. Subki, M.H. Mamat, M.M. Zahidi, M.H. Abdullah, I.B.S. Banu, N. Vasimalai, M.K. Ahmad, N. Nayan, S.A. Bakar, A. Mohamed, M.D. Birowosuto, M.R. Mahmood, Chemosensors. 10(11), 489 (2022)
W. Gu, H. Zhang, C. Chen, J. Zhang, Curr. Appl. Phys. 34, 112 (2022)
G. Algün, N. Akçay, J. Mater. Sci. Mater. Electron. 30, 16124 (2019)
L.P. Babu Reddy, R. Megha, H.G. Raj Prakash, Y.T. Ravikiran, C.H.V.V. Ramana, S.C. Vijaya, Kumari, D. Kim, Inorg. Chem. Commun. 99, 180 (2019)
S. Thakur, P. Patil, Sens. Actuators B Chem. 194, 260 (2014)
M.S. Siddiqui, A. Mandal, H. Kalita, M. Aslam, Sens. Actuators B Chem. 365, 131930 (2022)
A.D. Smith, K. Elgammal, F. Niklaus, A. Delin, A.C. Fischer, S. Vaziri, F. Forsberg, M. Råsander, H. Hugosson, L. Bergqvist, S. Schröder, S. Kataria, M. Östling, M.C. Lemme, Nanoscale. 7, 19099 (2015)
H. Bi, K. Yin, X. Xie, J. Ji, S. Wan, L. Sun, M. Terrones, M.S. Dresselhaus, Sci. Rep. 3(1), 2714 (2013)
K. Rathi, K. Pal, ACS Omega. 2, 842 (2017)
Y. Zhang, B. Li, Y. Jia, Mater. (Basel) 15(8), 2932 (2022)
B. Tao, J. Yin, F. Miao, Y. Zang, Ionics (Kiel). 28, 2413 (2022)
Q. Zafar, M.I. Azmer, A.G. Al-Sehemi, M.S. Al-Assiri, A. Kalam, K. Sulaiman, J. Nanoparticle Res. 18, 1 (2016)
Acknowledgements
The authors would like to thank Dr. Musa Mutlu Can for his XRD measurement support in this study.
Funding
This work was funded by the Scientific Research Projects Coordination Unit of Istanbul University. Project numbers are FYL-2021-38266, FYL-2017-24168 and FDK-2021-38183.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Contributions
All authors contributed to the study conception and design. Material preparation was carried out by HOO. Data collection was done by GA. Analyses were carried out by GA and NA. The first draft of the manuscript was written by NA and all authors commented on previous versions of the manuscript. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.
Corresponding author
Ethics declarations
Conflict of interest
The authors declare that they have no conflicts of interest.
Ethical approval
This article contains no studies involving human participants or animals as subjects. The corresponding author is prepared to collect documentation of compliance with ethical standards and send it if requested during peer review or after publication.
Additional information
Publisher’s Note
Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.
Rights and permissions
Springer Nature or its licensor (e.g. a society or other partner) holds exclusive rights to this article under a publishing agreement with the author(s) or other rightsholder(s); author self-archiving of the accepted manuscript version of this article is solely governed by the terms of such publishing agreement and applicable law.
About this article
Cite this article
Akçay, N., Algün, G. & Öztel, H.O. Fabrication of ultra-sensitive humidity sensors based on Ce-doped ZnO nanostructure with superfast response and recovery time. J Mater Sci: Mater Electron 34, 1565 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10854-023-10973-y
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10854-023-10973-y