Ethanol Sensing Properties of Tin Oxide Doped Using Silver Nanoparticles

Abstract:

Composite powders of SnO₂ with different amounts of Ag nanoparticles (0.3 wt%, 0.5 wt%, 0.8 wt% and 1.5 wt%) were prepared by reducing an aqueous silver nitrate solution with NaBH₄ followed by washing and heating treatments. Gas sensors, based on both pure SnO₂ and the prepared composite powders were fabricated by simple, reproducible and low cost method of powder pressing followed by sintering in air at 500oC for 2 hours. The morphology of the materials was characterized by XRD and SEM methods. The gas sensing performance of all sensors were examined in an ethanol vapor atmosphere. Both pure SnO₂ and Ag/ SnO₂ based sensors showed high responses to the ethanol vapor. However, in terms of response time and working temperature the Ag/SnO₂ based sensors showed better performances, i.e. they worked at lower temperatures and responded at shorter times. The response time of all sensors was less than 6s; however, optimized performance was observed for the sensor with 1.5% Ag concentration, showing 99% responses at 260oC with a response time of 3s. The results showed that Ag nanoparticles doped in SnO₂, effectively can increase sensor performance for ethanol detection.

• Periodical: Advanced Materials Research (Volume 829)
• Pages: 600-604
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.4028/www.scientific.net/AMR.829.600
• Online since: November 2013
• Authors: Esmaeil Rahimi, Mohammad Hossein Sheikhi*, Zahra Karami Horastani, S. Masoud Sayedi, Sedigheh Zeinali, Abbas Zarifkar
• Keywords: Ag Nanoparticle, Gas Sensor, SnO₂

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