Abstract:
The development of high-performance hydrogen sensors is essential for several industrial and environmental applications. The consequence of Swift heavy ion (SHI) beam irradiation with 120 MeV energy on spin-coated WO3 thin films of Ni7+ ion at fluence of 1× 1013 ions/cm2 was studied for the gas sensing application. Various characterization techniques including XRD, Raman, AFM, FESEM, UV-Vis, and FTIR were employed to analyse the structural, morphological, and optical properties of both thin films before and after irradiation. The crystalline size reduced from 39.8 nm to 26.2 nm with irradiation. Further, Ni7+ ions irradiated WO3 film exposed to the hydrogen (H2) gas at various temperatures to optimize the best operating temperature. The improvement in the Relative sensing response from 45.35 to 67.7 % with exposure to the 75 ppm H2 gas concentration at 100 ? was observed with irradiation of the Ni7+ ion beam. After being exposed to heavy ions, the WO3 thin films significantly changed. This change was believed to be caused by the presence of high porosity and formation defect states. The irradiated sample has also improved the recovery (100.5 s) and response time (13.69 s). The results indicate that ion beam irradiation is a feasible method for enhancing WO3-based hydrogen sensors, paving the way for the development of next-generation gas sensing systems with improved performance.
Biography:
Amit Kumar Verma is a doctoral researcher at the Sensors and Materials Research Laboratory (SMRL), Department of Physics, University of Lucknow, India, specializing in the design and characterization of nanostructured metal oxide-based gas sensors. His research focuses on the development of high-performance chemiresistive sensors for hydrogen detection, utilizing advanced ion beam irradiation techniques including swift heavy ion (SHI) and gamma irradiation to tailor the structural, morphological, and sensing properties of thin films. Amit holds a Master’s degree in Physics with a specialization in Electronics from the University of Allahabad, where he graduated with distinction (4th rank). His current Ph.D. work under the supervision of Prof. Narendra Kumar Pandey involves the synthesis and modification of metal oxide thin films for humidity and gas sensing applications. His research contributes significantly to the fields of sustainable energy, environmental monitoring, and nanotechnology-enabled sensor systems.
He has hands-on expertise in thin film deposition techniques such as sol-gel, spin coating, RF sputtering, and hydrothermal methods. His analytical proficiency includes a broad range of structural and spectroscopic tools like XRD, SEM, TEM, AFM, XPS, UV-Vis, FTIR, Raman spectroscopy, and electrical characterization techniques for gas sensing. To date, he has authored several high-impact publications in reputed journals such as The Chemical Engineering Journal, International Journal of Hydrogen Energy, and Journal of Alloys and Compounds, focusing on WO₃ and MoO₃ thin films, ion irradiation effects, and noble metal doping strategies. He has also presented his work at national and international platforms including IIT Jodhpur, IUAC New Delhi, and JIIT Noida. In recognition of his academic commitment, Amit was awarded the Karmayogi Fellowship at the University of Lucknow and was elected as Science Faculty Representative at the University of Allahabad in 2018. He has also mentored several M.Sc. dissertation projects on nanostructured metal oxides for sensor applications.
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