A novel heterostructure of NiCo2O4 hexagonal sheets decorated BiVO4 polyhedrons for the enhancement of acetone sensing properties

Acetone(C 3 H 6 O), a transparent and colorless organic compound, poses significant risks to human health and the environment. We synthesize the NiCo 2 O 4 -BiVO 4 forming an intimate sandwich structure using hydrothermal method for acetone detection. To characterize the as-prepared samples, XRD, XPS, SEM, UV–vis, and EIS are used. Among the pure NiCo 2 O 4 , BiVO 4 , 0.2BiVO 4 -NiCo 2 O 4 , 0.3BiVO4-NiCo 2 O 4 , and 0.4BiVO 4 -NiCo 2 O 4 , the 0.3BiVO 4 -NiCo 2 O 4 sensor exhibits (26.7) toward 30 ppm acetone, which is around double times higher than that of pure NiCo 2 O 4 at 250°C. Furthermore, the 0.3BiVO 4 -NiCo 2 O 4 composite exhibits rapid response-recovery kinetics, excellent humidity stability, and a favorable selectivity towards acetone. Drawing upon these characterizations and gas sensing test outcomes, a mechanism for the enhanced gas sensing properties of BiVO 4 -NiCo 2 O 4 is proposed. The integration of NiCo 2 O 4 with BiVO 4 to create BiVO 4 -NiCo 2 O 4 emerges as an effective approach to enhance the performance of acetone gas sensors.