The enhanced metallicity of ultrathin SnS2/MnS microflowers for effectively detecting triethylamine at low temperature.

[Display omitted] • Low temperature TEA-sensing SnS 2 /MnS microflowers are originally fabricated. • DFT simulation shows the transformation from semiconductive to metallic nature. • SnS 2 /MnS-3 % exhibits high responses of 17.85/23.67 to 100 ppm TEA at 30/40 ℃. • The enhanced metallicity plays a vital role of the enhanced gas-sensing behavior. • New strategy for gaining effective sulfide RT gas-sensing materials is presented. The development of low-temperature SnS 2 -based sensitive elements with unique surface adsorption and transport regulation for triethylamine (TEA) has always been an intractable challenge. In the present work, ultrathin SnS 2 /MnS microflowers with enhanced metallicity have been prepared by a facile one-step hydrothermal method, which is especially beneficial for achieving superior TEA-sensing performance under room temperature (RT) condition. Compared with pure SnS 2 , the SnS 2 /MnS-3 % can obviously exhibit higher responses of 17.85 and 23.67, faster response/recovery times of 165/506 and 156/344 s, and the enhanced gas selectivity and stability to 100 ppm TEA at 30 and 40 ℃, respectively. Taking account of density functional theory (DFT) calculation, the transformation of SnS 2 -based sensors from semiconductive to metallic nature plays a critical role of the enhanced gas-sensing behavior with the increased gas molecules absorption and electron transport efficiency, which can provide a new strategy for constructing novel and effective sulfide RT gas-sensing composites. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]