Facet‐Engineered (110)‐BiOI/Bi Interface on TiO <sub>2</sub> for Ultra‐Sensitive and Fast Room‐Temperature Formaldehyde Detection

ABSTRACT Facet engineering offers an effective strategy to tailor atomic configurations and interfacial electronic structures in semiconductor‐based gas sensors, yet its role in modulating room‐temperature VOC detection remains insufficiently understood. Here, we report a facet‐dependent interface design that integrates (110)‐exposed BiOI with metallic Bi sensitization on TiO 2 (P25), forming a highly active ternary sensing composite (110‐TB@B) for ultra‐low‐concentration formaldehyde (HCHO) detection at room temperature. The (110) facets of BiOI expose abundant Lewis acid sites that significantly enhance the adsorption and activation of HCHO and oxygen species, while the incorporation of metallic Bi creates strong interfacial electronic coupling at the BiOI/Bi junction. In situ DRIFTS reveals that Bi sensitization accelerates the rate‐determining oxidation step from dioxymethylene to formate, thereby boosting overall redox kinetics. Benefiting from the synergistic effects of facet‐engineering, Bi‐mediated sensitization, and dual interfacial junctions (BiOI/Bi and BiOI/TiO 2 ), the 110‐TB@B sensor delivers an exceptional response of 4.5 to 1 ppm HCHO, rapid response/recovery times of 65 s/60 s, and an experimentally measured detection limit of 50 ppb. The sensor further exhibits excellent selectivity, humidity tolerance, reproducibility, and mechanical stability. This work provides a mechanistic understanding of facet‐dependent interfacial regulation and offers a generalizable strategy for designing high‐performance room‐temperature VOC sensors.

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Publication Details

Journal
Advanced Functional Materials
Published
2026-02-01
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1002/adfm.202531264
Primary Topic
Gas Sensing Nanomaterials and Sensors
Type
article
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article

Facet‐Engineered (110)‐BiOI/Bi Interface on TiO 2 for Ultra‐Sensitive and Fast Room‐Temperature Formaldehyde Detection

Keke Li, Xinze Li, Yan‐Yan Song, Shujia Wang et al.
Advanced Functional Materials
Gas Sensing Nanomaterials and Sensors
article

Facet‐Engineered (110)‐BiOI/Bi Interface on TiO 2 for Ultra‐Sensitive and Fast Room‐Temperature Formaldehyde Detection

Keke Li, Xinze Li, Yan‐Yan Song, Shujia Wang, Zhida Gao, Wenwen Zhang
article en

Abstract

ABSTRACT Facet engineering offers an effective strategy to tailor atomic configurations and interfacial electronic structures in semiconductor‐based gas sensors, yet its role in modulating room‐temperature VOC detection remains insufficiently understood. Here, we report a facet‐dependent interface design that integrates (110)‐exposed BiOI with metallic Bi sensitization on TiO 2 (P25), forming a highly active ternary sensing composite (110‐TB@B) for ultra‐low‐concentration formaldehyde (HCHO) detection at room temperature. The (110) facets of BiOI expose abundant Lewis acid sites that significantly enhance the adsorption and activation of HCHO and oxygen species, while the incorporation of metallic Bi creates strong interfacial electronic coupling at the BiOI/Bi junction. In situ DRIFTS reveals that Bi sensitization accelerates the rate‐determining oxidation step from dioxymethylene to formate, thereby boosting overall redox kinetics. Benefiting from the synergistic effects of facet‐engineering, Bi‐mediated sensitization, and dual interfacial junctions (BiOI/Bi and BiOI/TiO 2 ), the 110‐TB@B sensor delivers an exceptional response of 4.5 to 1 ppm HCHO, rapid response/recovery times of 65 s/60 s, and an experimentally measured detection limit of 50 ppb. The sensor further exhibits excellent selectivity, humidity tolerance, reproducibility, and mechanical stability. This work provides a mechanistic understanding of facet‐dependent interfacial regulation and offers a generalizable strategy for designing high‐performance room‐temperature VOC sensors.

Advanced Functional Materials
Northeastern University (CN)
Openalex Percentile: Top 70%
Gas Sensing Nanomaterials and Sensors
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