High-performance acetone sensor based on electrospun Tb-doped α-Fe2O3 nanotubes

Gas sensing requires precise gas detection, hence the need for the development of semiconductors with highly selective and sensitive properties. Herein, different amounts of Tb-doped Fe 2 O 3 nanotubes (NTs) are successfully fabricated for detecting acetone gas using electrospinning followed by calcination at 550 °C. Specifically, the gas sensing investigation indicated that 5% Tb–Fe 2 O 3 NTs to 50 ppm acetone reached 53.2 at 170 °C, which is 13 times higher than that of pure Fe 2 O 3 NTs. In addition, the sensor also displays good selectivity and a low detection limit (200 ppb) for acetone. The significant increase in acetone sensing performance could be ascribed to hollow structures with a high specific surface area and the increase in oxygen vacancies by Tb doping. The proposed Tb-doped Fe 2 O 3 NTs offer an effective strategy for fabricating a highly sensitive acetone sensor, which can work well at a relatively low temperature.