Fast, Sensitive, and Highly Selective Room-Temperature Hydrogen Sensing of Defect-Rich Orthorhombic Nb2O5-x Nanobelts with an Abnormal p-Type Sensor Response

The research and development of low-power-consumption and room-temperature hydrogen sensors are of great significance for the safe application of hydrogen energy. Herein, orthorhombic Nb₂O_5-x nanobelts are prepared through a combined procedure of hydrothermal, ion exchange, and annealing treatment in Ar. The topological transformation process results in the formation of abundant surface defects including chemical defects such as Nb⁴⁺, oxygen vacancies, and disordered microregions, which lead to the abnormal p-type conducting and hydrogen sensing behavior. Moreover, the orthorhombic Nb₂O_5-x nanobelts exhibit fast and sensitive room-temperature hydrogen sensing performance, which shows greater advancement than the monoclinic, tetragonal, and hexagonal Nb₂O₅ one-dimensional (1D) nanostructures. The response time and lowest limit of detection of the as-fabricated room-temperature sensor decrease to 28 s and 3.5 ppm, respectively. The sensor also exhibits a highly selective hydrogen response against CO, CH₄, ethanol, H₂S, and NH₃. The hydrogen response of the Nb₂O_5-x nanobelts can be attributed to the redox reaction between hydrogen and preadsorbed oxygens. The defective surface structure and the prolonged dimension of the nanobelts give rise to the highly reactive surface and the suppression of the negative nanojunction effect, which greatly improves the sensing performance. The orthorhombic lattice structure can also promote gas adsorption and diffusion behavior due to its specific catalytic and pathway effect. The results of this work can be helpful for the rational design and defect engineering of the Nb₂O₅-based 1D nanostructures for room-temperature hydrogen sensing applications.