Hydrothermal synthesis of silver vanadium oxide (Ag_0.35V₂O₅) nanobelts for sensing amines

A simple hydrothermal method for the synthesis of Ag_0.35V₂O₅ nanobelts with the assistance of sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) is reported in this study. The experimental variables that may affect the nanoparticle structures were investigated. And several advanced techniques, such as TEM, HRTEM, X-ray diffraction (XRD), were used to characterize the morphology and composition of the as-prepared nanobelts. The mechanism of the formation and growth of Ag_0.35V₂O₅ nanobelts was also investigated and discussed. The results show that SDS, as a weak reducing agent, plays a crucial role in the formation of Ag_0.35V₂O₅. According to N₂ sorption isothermals, the as-prepared Ag_0.35V₂O₅ nanobelts are found to exhibit relative high surface area. The gas sensing performance of the Ag_0.35V₂O₅ nanobelts towards organic amine was tested. It is found that the nanobelts show superior sensitivity of amine(s) to V₂O₅ particles, lower detection limit (5 ppm), and higher selectivity of amine versus ammonia at an optimized working temperature of ~260 °C. Moreover, the density functional theory (DFT) simulation was conducted to better understand the sensing mechanism. These findings may be useful in designing promising materials to detect amine gases for medical or food industrial applications.