Exposed Edges of Porous Ultrathin WO3 Nanosheets Determined High-performance Sensing for Hydrogen Sulfide

Porous two-dimensional nanosheets have received extensive attention and research, but the mechanism of gas interaction at the edges of the pores has not been reported. Here, porous two-dimensional WO3 nanosheets (WO3 PTNSs) were synthesized based on a simple topology transformation strategy. The gas sensing measurements showed the high sensitivity of WO3 PTNSs to hydrogen sulfide (H2S) gas, and the response value was 17 times higher than that of non-porous WO3 nanosheets. Based on the density functional theory (DFT), the adsorption simulation of H2S was carried out. For the first time, it revealed that the distinct structure pore edge has a positive influence on gas interaction. This work not only demonstrates the great potential of the as-prepared WO3 PTNSs for H2S detection, but also clarifies the enhancement mechanism of edge effect on gas adsorption, which is expected to provide an effective reference for the application of porous nanosheets in gas sensors.