Enhanced Field Emission Performance of MoO 3 Nanorods and MoO 3 ‐rGO Nanocomposite

Abstract The graphene and semiconducting hybrid based nanostructures have emerged as a new class of multifunctional materials with improved performance in comparison to the pristine semiconductors. Here, as‐synthesized MoO 3 ‐reduced graphene oxide (rGO) nanocomposite emitter exhibits enhanced field emission (FE) behavior as compared to the pristine 1D MoO 3 nanorods. The hydrothermally synthesized 1D MoO 3 nanorods (1D) are grafted on the rGO sheet (2D) using a simple room temperature sonochemical method. The morphological and structural analysis confirms the attachment of MoO 3 nanorods with rGO and the improved conductivity of the sample indicates a strong electronic interaction between them. Furthermore, the FE studies of as‐synthesized MoO 3 nanorods and MoO 3 ‐rGO nanocomposite emitters, carried out at a base pressure ∼1×10 −8 mbar, reveals the values of turn on field (required to draw an emission current density of 1 μA/cm 2 ) as 1.6 and 1.4 V/μm, respectively. Interestingly, the maximum emission current density of 2810 μA/cm 2 is achieved at a lower applied field of 2.7 V/μm from the MoO 3 ‐rGO nanocomposite emitter. The enhancement in FE performance of MoO 3 ‐rGO nanocomposite is attributed to the improved electrical conductivity, mechanical properties and higher concentration of protruding edges (emission sites). This observation can be extended to other graphene‐based 1D inorganic hybrid semiconductor nanocomposites, which can provide a valuable opportunity to explore novel hybrid materials for vacuum nano‐electronic devices.