9-13 July 2012
Africa/Johannesburg timezone
<a href="http://events.saip.org.za/internalPage.py?pageId=11&confId=14"><font color=#ff0000>SAIP2012 PROCEEDINGS AVAILABLE</font></a>

NiS Nanostructures for Application in Room Temperature Gas Sensors

12 Jul 2012, 08:40
20m
Oral Presentation Track A - Division for Condensed Matter Physics and Materials DCMPM2

Speaker

Ms Ella Cebisa (National Centre for Nano-structured Materials, Council for Scientific and Industrial ResearchP. O. Box 395, Pretoria, 0001, South Africa)

Level for award<br>&nbsp;(Hons, MSc, <br> &nbsp; PhD)?

PhD

Would you like to <br> submit a short paper <br> for the Conference <br> Proceedings (Yes / No)?

Yes

Main supervisor (name and email)<br>and his / her institution

Dr Bonex Mwakikunga
CSIR

Abstract content <br> &nbsp; (Max 300 words)

One dimensional (1D) nanosized materials (e.g. nanotubes, nanowires and nanorods) are being used extensively in high performance sensor devices owing to their high surface-to-volume ratio, highly crystalline nature and their semiconducting properties. Nickel sulphide (NiS) is an interesting material that has a semiconductor-metal transition (MIT) at approximately 260 K which is close to room temperature. A slight modification of this temperature by metal doping may push the transition temperature towards room temperature, which would make NiS a good candidate for room temperature gas sensing applications.

The high crystalline NiS nanostructures were synthesized via a microwave irradiated hydrothermal technique. Analysis of these structures was obtained via the use of electron microscopy, energy dispersive x-ray spectroscopy, x-ray diffraction spectroscopy and optical analysis techniques. The MIT of the as-synthesized NiS material was confirmed by electronic measurements and the effect of additional impurities on the NiS structure is also reported. The effect of temperature and gas concentration of the sensitivity of these nanostructures will also be discussed briefly.

Apply to be<br> consider for a student <br> &nbsp; award (Yes / No)?

Yes

Primary author

Ms Ella Cebisa (National Centre for Nano-structured Materials, Council for Scientific and Industrial ResearchP. O. Box 395, Pretoria, 0001, South Africa)

Co-authors

Dr Bonex Mwakikunga (1National Centre for Nano-structured Materials, Council for Scientific and) Prof. Neil Coville (Molecular Sciences Institute, School of Chemistry, and the DST/NRF Centre of Excellence in Strong Materials, University of the Witwatersrand, Private Bag 3, Johannesburg, Wits 2050, South Africa) Dr Sabelo Mhlanga (Molecular Sciences Institute, School of Chemistry, and the DST/NRF Centre of Excellence in Strong Materials, University of the Witwatersrand, Private Bag 3, Johannesburg, Wits 2050, South Africa)

Presentation Materials

There are no materials yet.