Formation of a Nanorod-Assembled TiO2 ActinomorphicFlower-like Microsphere Film via Ta Doping Using a Facile Solution Immersion Method for Humidity Sensing

• Main Authors: Mohamed Zahidi, Musa, Mamat, Mohamad Hafiz, A Subki, A Shamsul Rahimi, Abdullah, Mohd Hanapiah, Hassan, Hamizura, Ahmad, Mohd Khairul, Abu Bakar, Suriani, Mohamed, Azmi, Bunsho Ohtani, Bunsho Ohtani
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Mdpi 2023
• Subjects: T Technology (General)
• Online Access: http://eprints.uthm.edu.my/11359/1/J15823_9762ac0f5e599b24ddb1cf260afb8c25.pdf; http://eprints.uthm.edu.my/11359/; https://doi.org/10.3390/nano13020256
• Institution: Universiti Tun Hussein Onn Malaysia

This study fabricated tantalum (Ta)-doped titanium dioxide with a unique nanorodassembled actinomorphic-flower-like microsphere structured film. The Ta-doped TiO2 actinomorphicflower-like microsphere (TAFM) was fabricated via the solution immersion method in a Schott bottle with a home-made improvised clamp. The samples were characterised using FESEM, HRTEM, XRD, Raman, XPS, and Hall effect measurements for their structural and electrical properties. Compared to the undoped sample, the rutile-phased TAFM sample had finer nanorods with an average 42 nm diameter assembled to form microsphere-like structures. It also had higher oxygen vacancy sites, electron concentration, and mobility. In addition, a reversed double-beam photoacoustic spectroscopy measurement was performed for TAFM, revealing that the sample had a high electron trap density of up to 2.5 µmolg1. The TAFM showed promising results when employed as the resistive-type sensing film for a humidity sensor, with the highest sensor response of 53,909% obtained at 3 at.% Ta doping. Adding rGO to 3 at.% TAFM further improved the sensor response to 232,152%.