Improved performance of triethylamine sensors through defect formation in La-doped MoO3 nanorods.

The rod-like pure MoO 3 and La-doped MoO 3 (L-MoO 3) sensitive materials were prepared by hydrothermal method. A series of structural analyses, including XRD, element mapping and XPS, revealed that La was uniformly doped into the crystal lattice of MoO 3. Furthermore, the gas sensitive studies showed that La doping significantly improved the gas sensitive performance of the sensors to triethylamine. The response value of L-MoO 3 sensor is 1148 to 50 ppm triethylamine, which is five times that of pure MoO 3 , and has outstanding stability and selectivity. Preliminary studies have shown that La doping enables the material to generate more active sites and larger baseline resistance, and the combination of these advantages contributes to structural sensitization and synergies to enhance the gas-sensitive performance of the L-MoO 3 sensors. This work prepared a high response TEA gas sensors, and verified the improvement of MoO 3 gas-sensitive performance by La doping. [Display omitted] • La-doped MoO 3 nanorods synthesized by hydrothermal synthesis process (L-MoO 3). • L-MoO 3 -based sensor has outstanding selectivity and sensitivity to TEA at 235 °C. • The response of 5 mol% L-MoO 3 to 50 ppm TEA (1148) is 5 times that of pure MoO 3. • La doping induces the formation of defects and increase of adsorbed oxygen content. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]