Physisorption-Mediated Charge Transfer in TiS2 Nanodiscs: A Room Temperature Sensor for Highly Sensitive and Reversible Carbon Dioxide Detection

Real-time and high-performance monitoring of trace carbon dioxide (CO2) has become a necessity due to its substantial impact on the global climate, human health, indoor occupancy, and crop productivity. Two-dimensional materials such as transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs) have gained significant interest in gas sensing applications owing to their intrinsically high surface-to-volume ratio. However, the research has been limited to prominent TMDs such as WS2 and MoS2. Specifically, the chemiresistive sensing performance of titanium disulfide (TiS2) has rarely been investigated. We present an electric-field-assisted TiS2 nanodisc assembly for the fabrication of a low-cost, low-power CO2 gas sensor based on charge transfer between physisorbed CO2 analyte molecules and TiS2 nanodiscs operating at room temperature. The physiochemical properties of the synthesized TiS2 nanodiscs were investigated via scanning electron microscopy (SEM), electron diffraction spectroscopy (EDS), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and Raman spectroscopy. The fabricated sensor demonstrated an ultra-high sensor response of 60%, a fast response time of 37 s toward 500 ppm CO2 gas, and the lowest detection limit of 5 ppm under ambient conditions. The low adsorption energies and vdW interaction between CO2 molecules and TiS2 resulted in easy desorption, allowing the sensor to self-recover without the need for external stimuli, which is hardly been witnessed in other 2D material analogues. Furthermore, the sensor has excellent reproducibility and stability for successive analyte exposures, as well as excellent selectivity for CO2 over other interfering gases. This reported sensor based on 2D TMDs is the first of its type to integrate such a broad range of sensor characteristics (such as high sensor response and sensitivity, rapid response and recovery times, a high signal-to-noise ratio, and excellent selectivity at room temperature) into a single, revolutionary device for CO2 detection.

TiS3 Nanoribbons: A Novel Material for Ultra-Sensitive Photodetection across Extreme Temperature Ranges

Photodetectors that can operate over a wide range of temperatures, from cryogenic to elevated temperatures, are crucial for a variety of modern scientific fields, including aerospace, high-energy science, and astro-particle science. In this study, we investigate the temperature-dependent photodetection properties of titanium trisulfide (TiS₃)- in order to develop high-performance photodetectors that can operate across a wide range of temperatures (77 K-543 K). We fabricate a solid-state photodetector using the dielectrophoresis technique, which demonstrates a quick response (response/recovery time ~0.093 s) and high performance over a wide range of temperatures. Specifically, the photodetector exhibits a very high photocurrent (6.95 × 10^-5 A), photoresponsivity (1.624 × 10⁸ A/W), quantum efficiency (3.3 × 10⁸ A/W·nm), and detectivity (4.328 × 10¹⁵ Jones) for a 617 nm wavelength of light with a very weak intensity (~1.0 × 10^-5 W/cm²). The developed photodetector also shows a very high device ON/OFF ratio (~32). Prior to fabrication, the TiS₃ nanoribbons were synthesized using the chemical vapor technique and characterized according to their morphology, structure, stability, and electronic and optoelectronic properties; this was performed using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), Raman spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction (XRD), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), and a UV-Visible-NIR spectrophotometer. We anticipate that this novel solid-state photodetector will have broad applications in modern optoelectronic devices.

Polyethyleneimine-Starch Functionalization of Single-Walled Carbon Nanotubes for Carbon Dioxide Sensing at Room Temperature

There is an ever-growing interest in the detection of carbon dioxide (CO₂) due to health risks associated with CO₂ emissions. Hence, there is a need for low-power and low-cost CO₂ sensors for efficient monitoring and sensing of CO₂ analyte molecules in the environment. This study reports on the synthesis of single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) that are functionalized using polyethyleneimine and starch (PEI-starch) in order to fabricate a PEI-starch functionalized SWCNT sensor for reversible CO₂ detection under ambient room conditions (T = 25 °C; RH = 53%). Field-emission scanning electron microscopy, high-resolution transmission electron microscopy, Raman spectroscopy, and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy are used to analyze the physiochemical properties of the as-synthesized gas sensor. Due to the large specific surface area of SWCNTs and the efficient CO₂ capturing capabilities of the amine-rich PEI layer, the sensor possesses a high CO₂ adsorption capacity. When exposed to varying CO₂ concentrations between 50 and 500 ppm, the sensor response exhibits a linear relationship with an increase in analyte concentration, allowing it to operate reliably throughout a broad range of CO₂ concentrations. The sensing mechanism of the PEI-starch-functionalized SWCNT sensor is based on the reversible acid-base equilibrium chemical reactions between amino groups of PEI and adsorbed CO₂ molecules, which produce carbamates and bicarbonates. Due to the presence of hygroscopic starch that attracts more water molecules to the surface of SWCNTs, the adsorption capacity of CO₂ gas molecules is enhanced. After multiple cycles of analyte exposure, the sensor recovers to its initial resistance level via a UV-assisted recovery approach. In addition, the sensor exhibits great stability and reliability in multiple analyte gas exposures as well as excellent selectivity to carbon dioxide over other interfering gases such as carbon monoxide, oxygen, and ammonia, thereby showing the potential to monitor CO₂ levels in various infrastructure.

Improvements in the Performance of a Visible-NIR Photodetector Using Horizontally Aligned TiS3 Nanoribbons

We report the fabrication and characterization of visible and near-infrared-resistive photodetector using horizontally aligned titanium tri sulfide (TiS3) nanoribbons. The fabrication process employed micro-electromechanical system, photolithography and dielectrophoretic (DEP) methods. The interdigitated electrodes (IDE) fingers were fabricated using photolithography and thin-film metallization techniques onto the Si/SiO2 substrate, and then TiS3 nanoribbons were horizontally aligned in between IDE using DEP. The fabricated device was first characterized in absence of light and then, the photodetector-based characteristics were obtained by illuminating it with fiber-coupled laser beam. These characteristics were optimized by varying wavelength and power density of the laser beam. The present photodetector shows a maximum responsivity of 5.22 × 102 A/W, quantum efficiency of 6.08 × 102, and detectivity of 1.69 × 109 Jones. The switching times, i.e., response and recovery times were found to be 1.53 and 0.74 s, respectively, with 1064 nm wavelength and 3.4 mW/mm2 power density of the laser beam. Also, the effect of O2 adsorption on nanoribbons has been studied and it is found that adsorbed O2 acts as electron acceptor and decreases the conductivity of the photodetector. Experimentally, it is found that the photoresponse of the horizontally aligned TiS3 nanoribbons is better than that of a randomly oriented TiS3 nanoribbon-based photodetector. Finally, the performance of the present photodetector was compared to that of the previous ones that were found to outperform the reported ones. The additional advantages of the photodetector include excellent stability and portability from which it may be concluded that TiS3 nanoribbons can be a promising candidate for application in nanoscale electronic and optoelectronic devices.

Influence of growth temperature on titanium sulphide nanostructures: from trisulphide nanosheets and nanoribbons to disulphide nanodiscs

We report the fabrication and characterization of titanium sulphide nanostructures using a chemical vapour transport (CVT) method. In CVT, reactions occur between titanium and sulphur powder in the vapor phase for TiS_x nanostructure growth. Systematic studies on the effect of temperature, consequent structural evolution and optical properties were investigated by various characterization techniques. A series of experiments were performed by maintaining a fixed compositional ratio (1 : 3) of Ti and S within a temperature range from 400 °C to 650 °C. On increasing the temperature from 400 °C to 650 °C; a gradual change in morphology was obtained from nanosheets (NS) to mixed phase nanoribbons and nanosheets (NS: NR), nanoribbons (NR), and nanodiscs (ND) of titanium sulphide, which was confirmed using SEM/TEM analysis. Then, the composition of titanium sulphides was studied using XRD, EDX and Raman spectroscopic techniques and it is observed that NS, NR and NS: NR have the composition ratio of TiS₃ whereas ND has a ratio of TiS₂. The phenomenon of decomposition of TiS₃ into TiS₂ at elevated temperatures was explained using thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and differential thermal analysis (DTA) along with pictorial representations. The optical properties of the prepared TiS₃/TiS₂ nanostructures were studied using UV-vis and photoluminescence spectroscopy. It is concluded that composition ratio of Ti and S as well as the temperature variation plays a crucial role in the formation of different Ti–S nanostructures with unique optical, electronic and thermal properties.

We report the fabrication and characterization of titanium sulphide nanostructures using a chemical vapour transport (CVT) method.