Nanohybrids of a MXene and transition metal dichalcogenide for selective detection of volatile organic compounds

Abstract

Two-dimensional transition metal carbides/nitrides, known as MXenes, have been recently receiving attention for gas sensing. However, studies on hybridization of MXenes and 2D transition metal dichalcogenides as gas-sensing materials are relatively rare at this time. Herein, Ti3C2Tx and WSe2 are selected as model materials for hybridization and implemented toward detection of various volatile organic compounds. The Ti3C2Tx/WSe2 hybrid sensor exhibits low noise level, ultrafast response/recovery times, and good flexibility for various volatile organic compounds. The sensitivity of the hybrid sensor to ethanol is improved by over 12-fold in comparison with pristine Ti3C2Tx. Moreover, the hybridization process provides an effective strategy against MXene oxidation by restricting the interaction of water molecules from the edges of Ti3C2Tx. An enhancement mechanism for Ti3C2Tx/WSe2 heterostructured materials is proposed for highly sensitive and selective detection of oxygen-containing volatile organic compounds. The scientific findings of this work could guide future exploration of next-generation field-deployable sensors.