Growth of copper–benzene-1,3,5-tricarboxylate on boron nitride nanotubes and application of the composite in methane sensing

Abstract A new composite material based on copper–benzene-1,3,5-tricarboxylate (Cu–BTC) deposited on boron nitride nanotubes (BNNTs) in a hydrothermal process were investigated for methane (CH 4 ) sensing. The composite was characterized by X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, and transmission electron microscopy. The Cu–BTC deposited on the BNNTs had an average grain size of 80 nm. The sensing performance of the as-grown product was studied for different concentrations of CH 4 (20–200 ppm) at 150 °C. The results revealed that the Cu–BTC/BNNT composite exhibited high sensitivity and selectivity toward CH 4 . The good sensing performance of the composite was attributed to the high surface area and high affinity of Cu–BTC for CH 4 , which would allow the composite to act like a preconcentrator for CH 4 gas sensing.