Preparation and NH(3) Gas-Sensing Properties of Double-Shelled Hollow ZnTiO(3) Microrods

A novel double-shelled hollow (DSH) structure of ZnTiO(3) microrods was prepared by self-templating route with the assistance of poly(diallyldimethylammonium chloride) (PDDA) in an ethylene glycol (EG) solution, which was followed by calcining. Moreover, the NH(3) gas-sensing properties of the DSH ZnTiO(3) microrods were studied at room temperature. The morphology and composition of DSH ZnTiO(3) microrods films were analyzed using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and X-ray diffractometry (XRD). The formation process of double-shelled hollow microrods was discussed in detail. The comparative gas-sensing results revealed that the DSH ZnTiO(3) microrods had a higher response to NH(3) gas at room temperature than those of the TiO(2) solid microrods and DSH ZnTiO(3) microrods did in the dark. More importantly, the DSH ZnTiO(3) microrods exhibited a strong response to low concentrations of NH(3) gas at room temperature.