Tailoring MoS2 nanoflakes over MXenes nanobelts for efficient ammonia detection at room temperature

Molybdenum disulfide (MoS 2 ) has emerged as a promising material for room-temperature gas sensing applications. However, its practical use is constrained by stability issues. To address this, the in-situ growth of MoS 2 nanoflakes on MXenes (Ti 3 C 2 ) nanobelts is reported for efficient ammonia (NH 3 ) gas sensing applications under ambient conditions. The MoS 2 nanoflakes are grown successfully on Ti 3 C 2 nanobelts via a facile one-step hydrothermal method and analyzed by state-of-the-art investigations. The design of the gas sensor is to anchor MoS 2 /Ti 3 C 2 onto a ceramic tube with a pair of gold electrodes. The results demonstrate that the sensor fabricated exhibits rapid, selective and stable response for NH 3 at room temperature. Specifically, the sensor shows a significant gas response (∼10 %) to 100 ppm NH 3 , outperforming the pure MoS 2 based sensor (∼7 %). More importantly, the sensor maintains performance at 1 ppm NH 3 , with a gas response of 2.5 %, a response time of 10 seconds, and a recovery time of 7 seconds. These enhancements are attributed to the synergistic effects between MoS 2 and Ti 3 C 2 , which not only improve stability but also enhance gas sensing capabilities. This study elucidates the potential of MoS 2 /Ti 3 C 2 composites for achieving reliable and efficient NH 3 sensing at room temperature, paving the way for advanced gas sensing technology.