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Elucidation of room temperature humidity sensing properties of Mn2O3 particles

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Abstract

MnCO3 particles were thermally decomposed to obtain Mn2O3 particles. MnCO3 was prepared by co-precipitation method using MnCl2.4H2O and CO(NH2)2 as reactants. Two separate parts of the obtained MnCO3 were calcined at 450 °C and 550 °C. The structural, crystallographic, morphological properties and elemental composition of all the materials were investigated using Fourier transform infrared spectrometry (FTIR), X-ray diffraction analysis (XRD), scanning electron microscopy and energy-dispersive X-rays spectroscopy (EDX). FTIR spectrum of the precursor and calcined products was related to MnCO3 and Mn2O3, respectively. As per XRD study, the precursor and calcined product obtained at 550 °C was crystalline, while the product obtained at 450 °C was amorphous in nature. From topographic study, the particles of MnCO3 and Mn2O3 were of cuboid shape. Elemental analysis of the samples via EDX analysis confirmed that the weight and atomic percentages of the precursor and calcined products are related to MnCO3 and Mn2O3, respectively. Afterward, the calcined products were used for investigation of their humidity sensing behavior at room temperature. The product obtained at 550 °C demonstrated reproducible, highly sensitivity and stable response toward humidity having response and recovery time 3 s and 13 s, respectively. Percent sensitivity of this material increased up to 96% by varying the humidity from 35 to 96%. The sensing mechanism was suggested to be based on protonic model, wherein the generation of H+ ions due to the dissociation of H3O+ ions reduces the sensor resistance and enhances the humidity sensitivity.

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Acknowledgements

We are grateful to the Centralized Resource Laboratory and Material Research Laboratory, University of Peshawar, 25120, Pakistan, for facilitating this work.

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  1. Centralized Resource Laboratory, University of Peshawar, Peshawar, 25120, Pakistan

    Khan Malook & Ihsan Ul-Haque

  2. Department of Physics, Materials Research Laboratory, University of Peshawar, Peshawar, 25120, Pakistan

    Muhammad Ali

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Malook, K., Ali, M. & Ul-Haque, I. Elucidation of room temperature humidity sensing properties of Mn2O3 particles. Appl. Phys. A 127, 758 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00339-021-04909-8

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