AACVD Synthesis of Bilayer Thin-Film ZnO/Cr2O3 Nanocomposites for Chemoresistive Gas Sensors

Using aerosol-assisted vapor deposition (AACVD), bilayer ZnO/Cr2O3 thin-film nanocomposites were prepared and validated using various physicochemical analyses. The thermal behavior of precursors—zinc and chromium acetylacetonates—was studied using TGA/DSC. The chemical composition of the obtained coatings was confirmed by EDX method, and the physical composition was confirmed by X-ray diffraction and Raman spectroscopy. The microstructural features were studied by SEM method. It was found that by varying the precursor concentration it is possible to change the morphology of the obtained coatings from an island structure to a continuous film. It is shown that ZnO/Cr2O3 bilayer films demonstrate a noticeable chemoresistive response in acetone detection.