Speaker
Description
Semiconducting metal oxides possess a range of beneficial properties that have enabled their widespread use in applications such as photocatalysis, solar cells, and sensors. In gas sensing, metal oxides demonstrate strong performance; however, their limitations include low selectivity and the need for high operating temperatures. This work explores a strategy to overcome these challenges by reducing the material's size to the nanoscale, effectively tuning its properties.
Focusing on titanium oxide, zinc oxide, and tin oxide-based nanostructured composite thin films, we incorporated quantum dot domains within a mesoporous polymeric network. The samples were extensively characterized using structural (X-ray diffraction) and morphological (scanning electron and atomic force microscopy) techniques. Their functional properties were evaluated under varying humidity conditions via solid-state impedance spectroscopy. We demonstrate that these nanocomposites can be synthesized through a simple, low-cost chemical route and integrated into a device exhibiting both sensing and photovoltaic behaviour, enabling autonomous room-temperature humidity sensing.
