Studying of gas sensing properties of titania nanotubes for health and safety applications.

Modern gas sensing systems based on nanotechnologies may enable reliable and continuous detection of different gaseous compounds to control atmospheric pollutants and human health. Wide bandgap semiconductor nanostructures with their quantum-mechanical properties can affect the features of functional devices. Therefore, the application of semiconductor nanomaterials in the development of chemical gas sensors is of great interest. Highly ordered transition metal oxide nanostructures have been considered as promising materials for applications in chemical gas sensors due to their good chemical stability and functional properties. In this regard, well-ordered and highly aligned titania nanotubes with their superior electron transport properties and large surface area are very attractive structures for the fabrication of gas sensing systems. Herein, we report the preparation and investigation of sensing properties of titania-based nanotubular structures for their application in gas detection devices. We studied the effect of additive materials on the functionalities of nanotubes to optimize their sensing performance. The morphology, structure and composition of prepared materials were examined. The sensing properties of structures were studied towards different gases. We have analyzed the interaction mechanism between the prepared nanotubes and gaseous compounds considering their structural and compositional modifications. The experimental findings demonstrate that the introduction of dopant materials and surface functionalization are very promising strategies to enhance the sensing performance of titania nanotubes.