Effects of Niobium-Loading on Sulfur Dioxide Gas-Sensing Characteristics of Hydrothermally Prepared Tungsten Oxide Thick Film

Nb-loaded hexagonal WO3 nanorods with 0–1.0 wt% loading levels were successfully synthesized by a simple hydrothermal and impregnation process and characterized for SO2 sensing. Nb-loaded WO3 sensing films were produced by spin coating on alumina substrate with interdigitated gold electrodes and annealed at 450°C for 3 h in air. Structural characterization by X-ray diffraction, high-resolution transmission electron microscopy, and Brunauer-Emmett-Teller analysis showed that spherical, oval, and rod-like Nb nanoparticles with 5–15 nm mean diameter were uniformly dispersed on hexagonal WO3 nanorods with 50–250 nm diameter and 100 nm–5 µm length. It was found that the optimal Nb loading level of 0.5 wt% provides substantial enhancement of SO2 response but the response became deteriorated at lower and higher loading levels. The 0.50 wt% Nb-loaded WO3 nanorod sensing film exhibits the best SO2 sensing performances with a high sensor response of ~10 and a short response time of ~6 seconds to 500 ppm of SO2 at a relatively low optimal operating temperature of 250°C. Therefore, Nb loading is an effective mean to improve the SO2 gas-sensing performances of hydrothermally prepared WO3 nanorods

A simple synthesis and characterization of LaMO3 (M=Al, Co, Fe, Gd) perovskites via chemical co-precipitation method

Nanocrystalline LaMO3 (M = Al, Fe, Co, Gd) perovskites were synthesized by the co-precipitation method using metal nitrate and carbonate salts as starting materials. The products were characterized with X-ray diffractometer (XRD), energydispersive X-ray spectrometer (EDX), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), BrunauerEmmett-Teller (BET) specific surface area measurement, and UV-vis diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (DRS). The XRD patterns confirmed the formation of the perovskite phase. The SEM micrographs indicated that perovskite samples were nanosized particles with morphology containing porosity due to inter-particle voids. The measured pHpzc of LaAlO3, LaCoO3, LaFeO3, and LaGdO3 in this work were 8.6, 9.2, 9.0, and 8.1, respectively. From the DRS spectra, the band gap energies of LaAlO3, LaCoO3, LaFeO3, and LaGdO3 were calculated as 2.60, 1.50, 2.00, and 2.90 eV, respectively. The preparation of LaMO3 (M = Al, Fe, Co, Gd) perovskites in this work have several advantages such as simplicity, low cost, and no waste compared with other methods

Flame-Made Pt-Loaded TiO 2

The hydrogen gas sensors were developed successfully using flame-made platinum-loaded titanium dioxide (Pt-loaded TiO2) nanoparticles as the sensing materials. Pt-loaded TiO2 thin films were prepared by spin-coating technique onto Al2O3 substrates interdigitated with Au electrodes. Structural and gas-sensing characteristics were examined by using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and showed surface morphology of the deposited film. X-ray diffraction (XRD) patterns can be confirmed to be the anatase and rutile phases of TiO2. High-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM) showed that Pt nanoparticles deposited on larger TiO2 nanoparticles. TiO2 films loaded with Pt nanoparticles were used as conductometric sensors for the detection of H2. The gas sensing of H2 was studied at the operating temperatures of 300, 350, and 400°C in dry air. It was found that 2.00 mol% Pt-loaded TiO2 sensing films showed higher response towards H2 gas than the unloaded film. In addition, the responses of Pt-loaded TiO2 films at all operating temperatures were higher than that of unloaded TiO2 film. The response increased and the response time decreased with increasing of H2 concentrations

High Sensitivity Electrochemical Cholesterol Sensor Utilizing a Vertically Aligned Carbon Nanotube Electrode with Electropolymerized Enzyme Immobilization

In this report, a new cholesterol sensor is developed based on a vertically aligned CNT electrode with two-step electrochemical polymerized enzyme immobilization. Vertically aligned CNTs are selectively grown on a 1 mm2 window of gold coated SiO2/Si substrate by thermal chemical vapor deposition (CVD) with gravity effect and water-assisted etching. CNTs are then simultaneously functionalized and enzyme immobilized by electrochemical polymerization of polyaniline and cholesterol enzymes. Subsequently, ineffective enzymes are removed and new enzymes are electrochemically recharged. Scanning electron microscopic characterization indicates polymer-enzyme nanoparticle coating on CNT surface. Cyclic voltammogram (CV) measurements in cholesterol solution show the oxidation and reduction peaks centered around 450 and −220 mV, respectively. An approximately linear relationship between the cholesterol concentration and the response current could be observed in the concentration range of 50–300 mg/dl with a sensitivity of approximately 0.22 μA/mg·dl−1, which is considerably higher compared to previously reported CNT bioprobe. In addition, good specificity toward glucose, uric acid acetaminophen and ascorbic acid have been obtained. Moreover, sensors have satisfactory stability, repeatability and life time. Therefore, the electropolymerized CNT bioprobe is promising for cholesterol detection in normal cholesterol concentration in human blood

Flame-Spray-Made Undoped Zinc Oxide Films for Gas Sensing Applications

Using zinc naphthenate dissolved in xylene as a precursor undoped ZnO nanopowders were synthesized by the flame spray pyrolysis technique. The average diameter and length of ZnO spherical and hexagonal particles were in the range of 5 to 20 nm, while ZnO nanorods were found to be 5–20 nm wide and 20–40 nm long, under 5/5 (precursor/oxygen) flame conditions. The gas sensitivity of the undoped ZnO nanopowders towards 50 ppm of NO2, C2H5OH and SO2 were found to be 33, 7 and 3, respectively. The sensors showed a great selectivity towards NO2 at high working temperature (at 300 °C), while small resistance variations were observed for C2H5OH and SO2, respectively

H2 Sensing Response of Flame-Spray-Made Ru/SnO2 Thick Films Fabricated from Spin-Coated Nanoparticles

High specific surface area (SSABET: 141.6 m2/g) SnO2 nanoparticles doped with 0.2–3 wt% Ru were successfully produced in a single step by flame spray pyrolysis (FSP). The phase and crystallite size were analyzed by XRD. The specific surface area (SSABET) of the nanoparticles was measured by nitrogen adsorption (BET analysis). As the Ru concentration increased, the SSABET was found to linearly decrease, while the average BET-equivalent particle diameter (dBET) increased. FSP yielded small Ru particles attached to the surface of the supporting SnO2 nanoparticles, indicating a high SSABET. The morphology and accurate size of the primary particles were further investigated by TEM. The crystallite sizes of the spherical, hexagonal, and rectangular SnO2 particles were in the range of 3–10 nm. SnO2 nanorods were found to range from 3–5 nm in width and 5–20 nm in length. Sensing films were prepared by the spin coating technique. The gas sensing of H2 (500–10,000 ppm) was studied at the operating temperatures ranging from 200–350 °C in presence of dry air. After the sensing tests, the morphology and the cross-section of sensing film were analyzed by SEM and EDS analyses. The 0.2%Ru-dispersed on SnO2 sensing film showed the highest sensitivity and a very fast response time (6 s) compared to a pure SnO2 sensing film, with a highest H2 concentration of 1 vol% at 350 °C and a low H2 detection limit of 500 ppm at 200 °C

Sensing Characteristics of Flame-Spray-Made Pt/ZnO Thick Films as H2 Gas Sensor

Hydrogen sensing of thick films of nanoparticles of pristine, 0.2, 1.0 and 2.0 atomic percentage of Pt concentration doped ZnO were investigated. ZnO nanoparticles doped with 0.2–2.0 at.% Pt were successfully produced in a single step by flame spray pyrolysis (FSP) technique using zinc naphthenate and platinum(II) acetylacetonate as precursors dissolved in xylene. The particle properties were analyzed by XRD, BET, SEM and TEM. Under the 5/5 (precursor/oxygen) flame condition, ZnO nanoparticles and nanorods were observed. The crystallite sizes of ZnO spheroidal and hexagonal particles were found to be ranging from 5 to 20 nm while ZnO nanorods were seen to be 5–20 nm wide and 20–40 nm long. ZnO nanoparticles paste composed of ethyl cellulose and terpineol as binder and solvent respectively was coated on Al2O3 substrate interdigitated with gold electrodes to form thin films by spin coating technique. The thin film morphology was analyzed by SEM technique. The gas sensing properties toward hydrogen (H2) was found that the 0.2 at.% Pt/ZnO sensing film showed an optimum H2 sensitivity of ∼164 at hydrogen concentration in air of 1 volume% at 300 °C and a low hydrogen detection limit of 50 ppm at 300 °C operating temperature

Multi-Walled Carbon Nanotube-Doped Tungsten Oxide Thin Films for Hydrogen Gas Sensing

In this work we have fabricated hydrogen gas sensors based on undoped and 1 wt% multi-walled carbon nanotube (MWCNT)-doped tungsten oxide (WO3) thin films by means of the powder mixing and electron beam (E-beam) evaporation technique. Hydrogen sensing properties of the thin films have been investigated at different operating temperatures and gas concentrations ranging from 100 ppm to 50,000 ppm. The results indicate that the MWCNT-doped WO3 thin film exhibits high sensitivity and selectivity to hydrogen. Thus, MWCNT doping based on E-beam co-evaporation was shown to be an effective means of preparing hydrogen gas sensors with enhanced sensing and reduced operating temperatures. Creation of nanochannels and formation of p-n heterojunctions were proposed as the sensing mechanism underlying the enhanced hydrogen sensitivity of this hybridized gas sensor. To our best knowledge, this is the first report on a MWCNT-doped WO3 hydrogen sensor prepared by the E-beam method

Development of ammonia gas sensor based on Ni-doped reduce graphene oxide

The work aims to develop a simple and low cost ammonia gas sensor based on reduced graphene oxide (rGO). Reduced graphene oxide doped with nickel sulfate (NiSO4/rGO) was used as a sensing material. The sensor was fabricated by a simple drop-cast and spin-coat technique. The performance of the nickel-doped reduce graphene oxide were studied in terms of electrical changes as well as chemical interactions. It was found that after the fabricated sensor was exposed to ammonia vapour for 10 min, the average resistivity was increased to 43% from initial resistance and retained about 8% resistance change upon ammonia removal. The mechanism of the sensor reaction with the ammonia gas is also studied using Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) and is discussed. This preliminary work may help develop the highly sensitive ammonia gas sensor

Design of low cost gas sensor based on SrTiO 3 and BaTiO 3 films

We have prepared SrTiO 3/BaTiO 3 multilayer film on alumina substrates by a sol-gel technique and investigated their response for sensing ethanol vapor. The surface morphology of the films were characterized by atomic force microscope (AFM) showing that the grain size of the films increase up to 40 nm as the annealing temperature increased to 1000 ̈C. The ethanol sensors based on SrTiO 3/BaTiO 3 thin films were fabricated by applying interdigitated gold electrodes by sputtering technique. The ethanol sensing characteristics of SrTiO 3/BaTiO 3 thin films were quantified by the change in resistance of the sensors when they were exposed to ethanol. The optimum operating tempearature of these sensors was found to be 350 °C. In addition, the film annealed at 1000 ̈C exhibited p-type gas sensing behavior with the best sensitivity of 30-100 for low ethanol concentration in the range of 100-1000 ppm.Fil: Hodak, Satreerat K.. Chulalongkorn University; TailandiaFil: Supasai, Thidarat. Chulalongkorn University; TailandiaFil: Wisitsoraat, Anurat. Thailand National Electronics and Computer Technology Center; TailandiaFil: Hodak, Jose Hector. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Ciudad Universitaria. Instituto de Química, Física de los Materiales, Medioambiente y Energía. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Instituto de Química, Física de los Materiales, Medioambiente y Energía; Argentin