Realizing room-temperature self-powered ethanol sensing of Au/ZnO nanowire arrays by coupling the piezotronics effect of ZnO and the catalysis of noble metal

By coupling the piezotronics effect of ZnO and the catalysis of noble metal, room-temperature self-powered active ethanol sensing was obtained from Au/ZnO nanowire arrays. The piezoelectric output generated by Au/ZnO nanowire arrays acts not only as power source, but also as response signal to ethanol at room temperature. Upon exposure to 1200 ppm ethanol, the piezoelectric output of Au/ZnO nanowire arrays decreased from 1.54 V (in air) to 0.43 V. Our research can stimulate a research trend on the development of the next generation of room-temperature gas sensors and will further expand the scope for self-powered nanosystems.