Gas sensing properties of ZnO nanorods prepared by hydrothermal method

ZnO nanorods are prepared by a hydrothermal process with cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) and zinc powder at 182°C. The samples are characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The gas sensing properties of the materials have been investigated. The results indicate that the as-prepared ZnO nanorods are uniform with diameters of 40–80 nm and lengths about 1 μm, the relatively high sensitivity and stability of these sensors made from ZnO nanorods demonstrate the potential for developing a new class of stable and very sensitive sensors.