Electrical quadruple hysteresis in Pd-doped vanadium pentoxide nanowires due to water adsorption

• Main Author: Byung Hoon Kim, Soon-Young Oh, Han Young Yu, Won G Hong, Yong Ju Yun, Yark Yeon Kim and Hae Jin Kim
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Taylor & Francis Group 2010-01-01
• Series: Science and Technology of Advanced Materials
• Online Access: http://iopscience.iop.org/1468-6996/11/6/065003

Humidity-dependent current–voltage (I–V) characteristics of Pd-doped vanadium pentoxide nanowires (Pd-VONs) were investigated. Electrical quadruple hysteresis (QH) was observed and attributed to the large amount of water molecules adsorbed on the nanowires. Using QH in Pd-VONs, the reaction of water with PdO was interpreted as the water molecules are desorbed and then dissociated with increasing bias voltage. Owing to the dissociated H+ and OH− ions, PdO is reduced and oxidized. As a result, water molecules recombine as the bias voltage is decreased.