Synthesis of High Electroconductive ZnO/CNT Nanocomposites with Chemoresistive Response at Room Temperature

ZnO/CNT nanocomposites with CNT content from 0.01 to 10 wt % have been prepared using solvothermal synthesis. The thermal behavior of the obtained composites has been studied at heating up to 850°C using DSC/TGA. The phase composition has been studied by X-ray powder diffraction and Raman spectroscopy; the formation of hexagonal wurtzite phase has been established. According to SEM data, zinc oxide nanoparticles are localized on the CNT surface. The temperature dependence of electrical resistance of ZnO/CNT nanocomposites has been studied. It is shown that semiconductor or metallic type of conductivity is observed depending on the CNT content. The chemoresistive responses to a wide range of gases have been studied at room temperature; the best sensitivity is shown by the sample with the lowest CNT content (0.01 wt %).