LAUSR

Abstract Recently, porous metal oxides derived from MOF (metal-organic framework) has been reported to have outstanding gas sensing performance. However, how and why the structures derived from MOF promote the properties need a further research. Herein, porous Co3O4 was synthesized by calcining Prussian blue analogue (PBA, a typical MOF material) cubes. As-prepared Co3O4 has a porous cubic structure and shows a high response to n-butanol. By comparing with the smashed sample, it is found that the hierarchical structure of initial Co3O4 derived from PBA templates contributes to the enhanced gas sensing performance. It is because that the special porous structure is beneficial for the diffusion of n-butanol deep inside the sensing layer.