Enhanced trimethylamine sensing performance of single-crystal MoO3 nanobelts decorated with Au nanoparticles

Abstract One-dimensional (1D) molybdenum trioxide (MoO 3 ) is one kind of the promising candidate for trimethylamine (TMA) detection. Meanwhile, introducing noble metals into sensing materials is considered as an effective strategy to enhance gas sensing performance. In this work, a novel gas sensing material was prepared by decorating Au nanoparticles on MoO 3 nanosbelts. The morphology and microstructure were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), X-ray photoelectron spectra (XPS), field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The results clearly reveal that Au nanoparticles with sizes of 10–20 nm were deposited on the surface of MoO 3 nanosbelts, remaining isolated from each other and the dispersion is very uniform. The Au-loaded MoO 3 nanosbelts sensor exhibits significantly improved sensing performances in terms of high sensitivity, low detection limit, better selectivity, and rapid response in comparison with pure MoO 3 nanosbelts. The effects of Au nanoparticles loading on the TMA-sensing properties of MoO 3 nanosbelts have been investigated. This work has provided insights and strategies for the rational fabrication of high performance TMA-sensing material in the application of gas sensors.