Synergistic effects of Mg doping on TiO2 for improved toxic gas sensing performance at room temperature

Abstract

Abstract The gas sensing characteristics of magnesium (Mg)-doped titanium dioxide (TiO2) films were investigated using a spray pyrolysis method. TiO2 Thin films with varying Mg doping concentrations (0, 2.5, and 5 weight percentages) were deposited and tested for their gas detection ability to organic compounds such as ethanol, butanol, toluene, xylene, and formaldehyde at room temperature. Results disclosed that introducing Mg into TiO2 enhanced the gas sensing characteristics, particularly for formaldehyde. Mg-doped TiO2 film improved the change in electrical resistance during gas adsorption, leading to an increased response in formaldehyde detection. Additionally, XRD revealed the crystal structure, while Raman spectroscopy provided insights into molecular vibrational modes of the fabricated films. FESEM allowed for high-resolution imaging of surface morphology, and atomic force microscope assessed surface roughness and other properties of the as deposited samples. UV-Vis spectroscopy was utilized to examine the optical characteristics. The collective results strongly indicated that the introduction of Mg significantly improved the gas-sensing capabilities of TiO2 films, making them highly promising for various gas-sensing applications.