Growth and sensing properties of networked p-CuO nanowires (original) (raw)

Networked p-CuO nanowires were grown on patterned-electrode pads by the thermal oxidation of Cu layers. Vertically aligned CuO nanowires grown on adjacent round-shape electrode pads were entangled, eventually forming nanowire-nanowire junctions. The sensing properties of the networked CuO nanowires were examined for a range of oxidizing gases, such as NO 2 , SO 2 and O 2 , and reducing gases, such as CO, C 6 H 6 , C 7 H 8 , and H 2 , and compared with those of networked n-SnO 2 nanowires. The gas responses of the networked CuO nanowires to the tested oxidizing gases were inferior to those of networked n-SnO 2 nanowires. In contrast, for reducing gases, the networked CuO nanowires showed comparable gas responses to the networked n-SnO 2 nanowires. The results suggest that the networked CuO nanowires are more promising for the detection of reducing gases rather than oxidizing gases.