Gas sensing properties of ordered mesoporous TiO2 film enhanced by thermal shock induced cracking

Ordered mesoporous TiO2 films with increased pore connectivity are introduced in this work. Crack generation was accomplished by thermal shock using rapid thermal annealing to obtain a connected pore structure. Due to the increased pore connectivity caused by crack generation, the specific surface area of mesoporous TiO2 films increased by 2.6 times. As specific surface area increased, gas sensing properties of the ordered mesoporous TiO2 film were enhanced, thus, ordered mesoporous TiO2 films with increased pore connectivity are ideal candidates for gas sensor applications. (c) 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.