Abstract
The effect of zinc doping on the structural, optical, and gas sensing properties of indium oxide (In2O3) nanomaterial was investigated. We used a simple sol-gel approach to create In2O3 nanomaterial with different zinc doping percentages (1, 3, 5, 7, and 9 moles %). Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) was used to investigate the samples' thermal behaviour. The powders were analysed using X-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), UV-Visible spectroscopy, and Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). The XRD investigation revealed that the produced powders were polycrystalline in nature, with a cubic structure and a favoured orientation (222). TEM scans revealed the presence of spherical particles. As the zinc doping concentration grew, the nanomaterial optical band gap dropped. The Zn-doped In2O3 nanomaterial was investigated for hydrogen sulfide (H2S) gas sensing applications. The gas detecting characteristics were tested at different operating temperatures and H2S concentrations. When compared to several other solid-state gas sensors, the Zn-doped In2O3 nanomaterial displayed dramatically increased sensitivity to H2S gas and shorter reaction times. Overall, the Zn-doped In2O3 sensors have high sensitivity and fast response.