Improving the CO and CH4 Gas Sensor Response at Room Temperature of α-Fe2O3(0001) Epitaxial Thin Films Grown on SrTiO3(111) Incorporating Au(111) Islands

In this work, the functional character of complex α-Fe2O3(0001)/SrTiO3(111) and Au(111) islands/α-Fe2O3(0001)/SrTiO3(111) heterostructures has been proven as gas sensors at room temperature. Epitaxial Au islands α-Fe2O3 thin film are grown by pulsed laser deposition on SrTiO3(111) substrates. Intrinsic parameters such composition, particle size epitaxial investigated for their influence sensing response. Both layer show an island-type growth with average 40 62 nm, respectively. The incommensurate is evidenced, confirming a rotation 30° between in-plane crystallographic axes α-Fe2O3(0001) structure those substrate structure. only phase iron oxide identified before after its functionalization nanoparticles. addition, structural characteristics also preserved deposition, minor changes short-range order. Conductance measurements Au(111)/α-Fe2O3(0001)/SrTiO3(111) system that incorporation top induces enhancement gas-sensing activity around 25% under CO 35% CH4 exposure, in comparison to bare response exposure 5–10% higher than each case.