Ammonia gas detection by solution combustion-processed pristine & Ti-doped ZnO transparent films: a reverse effect of doping on gas response

Abstract

In this contribution, pure, polycrystalline wurtzite crystal structured, spin-coated pristine ZnO and Ti-doped (1, 2, and 3 wt%) ZnO transparent films were accomplished at 400 °C through a facile solution combustion synthesis method. Crystallinity, roughness, and porosity in the pristine film were relatively higher than in the doped films. The demonstrated films were transparent, with ~ 70 to 90% in the visible region. The room temperature detection of ammonia (NH3) gas (25–100 ppm) was recognized in all the films. The pristine film revealed a superior gas response at every concentration of NH3 gas in contrast to all the doped films; it is probably due to comparatively high crystallinity, porosity, more oxygen vacancy concentration (1.788), and high fraction of adsorbed oxygen (20.55%). The film exhibited the highest gas response of 34.7 at 100 ppm of NH3 gas and a limit of detection of ~ 10.7 ppm with superior selectivity towards NH3 gas. Although doping enhanced the transparency but diminished the NH3 gas response due to the combined effect of deterioration in the mentioned properties achieved in pristine film.