High-Response Room-Temperature NO2 Sensor and Ultrafast Humidity Sensor Based on SnO2 with Rich Oxygen Vacancy

SnO₂ nanosheets with abundant vacancies (designated as SnO_{2- x}) have been successfully prepared by annealing SnSe nanosheets in Argon. The transmission electron microscopy results of the prepared SnO₂ nanosheets indicated that high-density SnO_{2- x} nanoplates with the size of 5-10 nm were distributed on the surface of amorphous carbon. After annealing, the acquired SnO_{2- x}/amorphous carbon retained the square morphology. The stoichiometric ratio of Sn/O = 1:1.55 confirmed that oxygen vacancies were abundant in SnO₂ nanosheets. The prepared SnO_{2- x} exhibited excellent performance of sensing NO₂ at room temperature. The response of the SnO_{2- x}-based sensor to 5 ppm NO₂ was determined to be 16 with the response time and recovery time of 331 and 1057 s, respectively, which is superior to those of most reported room-temperature NO₂ sensors based on SnO₂ and other materials. When the humidity varied from 30 to 40%, Δ R/ R was 0.025. The ultrafast humidity response (52 ms) and recovery (140 ms) are competitive compared with other state-of-art humidity sensors. According to the mechanistic study, the excellent sensing performance of SnO_{2- x} is attributed to its special structure.

Finely Tuned SnO2 Nanoparticles for Efficient Detection of Reducing and Oxidizing Gases: The Influence of Alkali Metal Cation on Gas-Sensing Properties

Tin dioxide (SnO₂) nanoparticles were straightforwardly synthesized using an easily scaled-up liquid route that involves the hydrothermal treatment, either under acidic or basic conditions, of a commercial tin dioxide particle suspension including potassium counterions. After further thermal post-treatment, the nanomaterials have been thoroughly characterized by Fourier transform infrared and Raman spectroscopy, powder X-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and nitrogen sorption porosimetry. Varying pH conditions and temperature of the thermal treatment provided cassiterite SnO₂ nanoparticles with crystallite sizes ranging from 7.3 to 9.7 nm and Brunauer-Emmett-Teller surface areas ranging from 61 to 106 m²·g^-1, acidic conditions favoring potassium cation removal. Upon exposure to a reducing gas (H₂, CO, and volatile organic compounds such as ethanol and acetone) or oxidizing gas (NO₂), layers of these SnO₂ nanoparticles led to highly sensitive, reversible, and reproducible responses. The sensing results were discussed in regard to the crystallite size, specific area, valence band energy, Debye length, and chemical composition. Results highlight the impact of the counterion residuals, which affect the gas-sensing performance to an extent much higher than that of size and surface area effects. Tin dioxide nanoparticles prepared under acidic conditions and calcined in air showed the best sensing performances because of lower amount of potassium cations and higher crystallinity, despite the lower surface area.

MOF-Based Membrane Encapsulated ZnO Nanowires for Enhanced Gas Sensor Selectivity

Gas sensors are of a great interest for applications including toxic or explosive gases detection in both in-house and industrial environments, air quality monitoring, medical diagnostics, or control of food/cosmetic properties. In the area of semiconductor metal oxides (SMOs)-based sensors, a lot of effort has been devoted to improve the sensing characteristics. In this work, we report on a general methodology for improving the selectivity of SMOx nanowires sensors, based on the coverage of ZnO nanowires with a thin ZIF-8 molecular sieve membrane. The optimized ZnO@ZIF-8-based nanocomposite sensor shows markedly selective response to H2 in comparison with the pristine ZnO nanowires sensor, while showing the negligible sensing response to C7H8 and C6H6. This original MOF-membrane encapsulation strategy applied to nanowires sensor architecture pave the way for other complex 3D architectures and various types of applications requiring either gas or ion selectivity, such as biosensors, photo(catalysts), and electrodes.

In-depth understanding of the relation between CuAlO₂ particle size and morphology for ozone gas sensor detection at a nanoscale level

A morphology-dependent nanomaterial for energy and environment applications is one of the key challenges for materials science and technology. In this study, we investigate the effect of the particle size of CuAlO2 nanostructures prepared through the facile and hydrothermal process to detect ozone gas. Phase analysis and structural information were obtained using X-ray diffraction and micro-Raman studies. The chemical states of CuAlO2 atomic species were determined by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. Electron microscopy images revealed the flower and hexagonal shape constituted of pentagon and oval CuAlO2 nanoparticles with average size ∼40 and 80 nm. The specific surface area was measured and found to be 59.8 and 70.8 m(2) g(-1), respectively. The developed CuAlO2 nanostructures not only possess unique morphology but also influence the ozone gas sensing performance. Among the two structures, CuAlO2, with hexagonal morphology, exhibited superior ozone detection for 200 ppb at 250 °C, with a response and good recovery time of 25 and 39 s compared to the flower morphology (28 and 69 s). These results show that not only does the morphology play an major role but also the particle size, surface area, gas adsorption/desorption, and grain-grain contact, as proposed in the gas sensing mechanism. Finally, we consider CuAlO2 material as a good candidate for environment monitoring applications.

Hybrid organotin and tin oxide-based thin films processed from alkynylorganotins: synthesis, characterization, and gas sensing properties

Hydrolysis-condensation of bis(triprop-1-ynylstannyl)butylene led to nanostructured bridged polystannoxane films yielding tin dioxide thin layers upon UV-treatment or annealing in air. According to Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, contact angle measurements, X-ray diffraction (XRD), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), atomic force microscopy (AFM), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) data, the films were composed of a network of aggregated "pseudo-particles", as calcination at 600 °C is required to form cassiterite nanocrystalline SnO2 particles. In the presence of reductive gases such as H2 and CO, these films gave rise to highly sensitive, reversible, and reproducible responses. The best selectivity toward H2 was reached at 150 °C with the hybrid thin films that do not show any response to CO at 20-200 °C. On the other hand, the SnO2 films prepared at 600 °C are more sensitive to H2 than to CO with best operating temperature in the 300-350 °C range. This organometallic approach provides an entirely new class of gas-sensing materials based on a class II organic-inorganic hybrid layer, along with a new way to include organic functionality in gas sensing metal oxides.

Nanoscaled tin dioxide films processed from organotin-based hybrid materials: an organometallic route toward metal oxide gas sensors

Nanocrystalline tin dioxide (SnO(2)) ultra-thin films were obtained employing a straightforward solution-based route that involves the calcination of bridged polystannoxane films processed by the sol-gel process from bis(triprop-1-ynylstannyl)alkylene and -arylene precursors. These films have been thoroughly characterized by FTIR, contact angle measurements, X-ray diffraction (XRD), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), atomic force (AFM) and scanning electron (SEM) microscopies. Annealing at a high temperature gave 30-35 nm thick cassiterite SnO(2) films with a mean crystallite size ranging from 4 to 7 nm depending on the nature of the organic linker in the distannylated compound used as a precursor. In the presence of H(2) and CO gases, these layers led to highly sensitive, reversible and reproducible responses. The sensing properties were discussed in regard to the crystallinity and porosity of the sensing body that can be tuned by the nature of the precursor employed. Organometallic chemistry combined with the sol-gel process therefore offers new possibilities toward metal oxide nanostructures for the reproducible and sensitive detection of combustible and toxic gases.

Room-temperature hydrogen sensing with heteronanostructures based on reduced graphene oxide and tin oxide

There's something in the air … A nanocomposite consisting of well-dispersed SnO(2) and Pt nanoparticles on reduced graphene oxide (see the high-resolution TEM image) exhibited very high responses to hydrogen at concentrations between 0.5 and 3% in air, with response times of 3-7 s and recovery times of 2-6 s. The sensor was prepared by a straightforward microwave-assisted non-aqueous sol-gel approach.

Tin(IV) oxide coatings from hybrid organotin/polymer nanoparticles

Tin dioxide coatings are widely applied in glasses and ceramics to improve not only optical, but also mechanical properties. In this work, we report a new method to prepare SnO(2) coatings from aqueous dispersions of polymer/organotin hybrid nanoparticles. Various liquid organotin compounds were encapsulated in polymeric nanoparticles synthesized by miniemulsion polymerization. Large amounts of tetrabutyltin and bis(tributyltin) could be successfully incorporated in cross-linked and noncross-linked polystyrene nanoparticles that served as sacrificial templates for the formation of tin oxide coatings after etching with oxygen plasma or calcination. Cross-linked polystyrene particles containing bis(tributyltin)--selected for having a high boiling point--were found to be especially suited for the oxide coating formation. The content of metal in the particles was up to 12 wt %, and estimations by thermogravimetrical indicated that at least 96% of the total organotin compound was converted to SnO(2). The resulting coatings were mainly identified as tetragonal SnO(2) (cassiterite) by X-ray diffraction, although a coexistence of this phase with orthorhombic SnO(2) was observed for samples prepared with bis(tributyltin).

Low temperature crystallization of transparent, highly ordered nanoporous SnO₂ thin films: application to room-temperature hydrogen sensing

High surface area highly ordered nanoporous thin films are the current gold standard for gas sensor use, however the nanostructure of such films is prone to collapse at annealing temperatures as low as 250 °C resulting in formation of a dense layer of limited utility. We report on a templating method used to deposit highly ordered nanoporous platinum (Pt)-doped tin dioxide (SnO(2)) thin films that are crystallized by a 100 °C water vapor hydrothermal treatment, with the low temperature process being compatible with a large variety of substrates including plastic. The resulting highly ordered nanoporous, transparent Pt-SnO(2) thin films are mechanically stable and can be annealed, as desired, at temperatures up to 800 °C for removal of the templating materials and tailoring of gas sensitivities without damage to the nanoporous structure. The synthesis method is general, offering a promising strategy for preparing high performance nanoporous metal oxide crystalline films for applications including gas sensing, photocatalysis, and 3(rd) generation photovoltaics. In our example application of the synthesized materials, we find that these Pt-SnO(2) films exhibit exceptional hydrogen gas sensing behavior, rapidly detecting low-level hydrogen concentrations at room temperature; for example, an eight order of magnitude change in electrical resistance is seen in response to 10 000 ppm H(2), with only minimal sensitivity to humidity.