MOF-derived flower-like Fe-doped Co3O4 porous hollow structures with enhanced n-butanol sensing properties at low temperature

Metal oxide-based gas sensors are widely used in the detection of toxic and harmful gases due to their advantages of high precision, convenient use and stable performance, but their application range is limited due to the high working temperature. In this work, MOF-derived flower-like Fe-doped Co3O4 porous hollow structures are obtained using a simple solvothermal method. The obtained samples are characterized in terms of their crystalline structure, morphology, chemical composition, optical properties and specific surface area. This study systematically investigates the sensing performance of pristine and Fe-doped Co3O4 samples. The results show that the 2 at% Fe-Co3O4 sample has the best n-butanol sensing properties. This sample exhibits high response and rapid response/recovery speed at a low working temperature of 110 °C, as well as good repeatability and anti-humidity features. The enhanced sensing properties can be attributed to several factors, including the adjustment of baseline resistance, increase in oxygen vacancies, decrease in bandgap, and the formation of unique hollow and porous structures. Overall, this work provides valuable insights into the potential applications of Fe-doped Co3O4 materials in sensing technologies.