Imogolite as an electron emitter and a water sensor

Abstract

We investigated field emission (FE) properties of imogolite including the turn-on field and lifetime stability. Imogolite is an excellent electron emitter with a turn-on field of approximately 2.5-3.5 V/μm. A lifetime test revealed that imogolite protects itself during FE under exposure to O 2 gas. We also measured the current-voltage characteristics of the imogolite as a function of the amount of water adsorbed on the surface. The results suggested that the electrode-containing imogolite device could be a useful water sensor in a nanoscale environment. © Springer Science+Business Media, LLC 2007.