Solid-state synthesis strategy of hierarchically-structured BiOCl desert-roses for the selective detection of C₂H₅OH

Bismuth oxychloride desert-rose microflowers (BiOCl DMFs), composed of several nanoplates with crevices between them that facilitate sufficient surface for reactions of the target gas molecules for gas sensors, are successfully synthesized rapidly through a facile and cost-effective room-temperature solid-state synthesis strategy. The structure and morphology of as-synthesized BiOCl DMFs are confirmed from the X-ray diffraction, Raman spectroscopy, Fourier-transform infrared, energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, and Brunauer-Emmett-Teller measurement techniques. The reaction mechanism responsible for BiOCl formation is also proposed. The sensors made from BiOCl DMFs exhibit an excellent chemiresistive performance to C₂H₅OH at 180 °C with remarkable reversibility and stability in response. This work offers innovative insight in synthesizing BiOCl microflowers in a facile and cost-effective manner through solid-state synthesis approach for the application of chemiresistive sensors.