In this study, we investigate the impact of Xe + ion irradiation at glancing angle on the gas‐sensing properties of ZnO nanorods (NRs) which is synthesized via simple hydrothermal method. Interestingly, the ion‐irradiated samples exhibited superior response to the gas molecules with shorter response times compared to pristine ZnO NRs, even at lower gas concentrations. Notably, the sample irradiated with the fluence of 7 × 10 15 ions/cm 2 demonstrated a response of 28.6% towards 3 ppm of NO 2 , whereas the pristine sample did not show any response. The enhancement in sensing response is attributed to the surface modifications and defect creation induced by glancing angle Xe + ion irradiation. The microstructural evaluation of these NRs by transmission electron microscopy analysis revealed a smooth surface for the pristine sample, whereas the Xe + ion‐irradiated samples shows porous structure at the surface, and the presence of Xe bubbles has also been observed. Photoluminescence spectroscopy indicated a narrow band edge emission for the pristine sample and a blue shifted band edge emission for the ion‐irradiated samples. Further, the irradiated samples exhibit suppressed defect emission in comparison with the pristine sample. The present study highlights the effect of glancing ion irradiation on the surface morphology, microstructure, and gas‐sensing performance.
Amruta et al. (Fri,) studied this question.