Fabrication and characterization of SnO 2 nanospheres for hydrogen detection

Abstract

This article demonstrates a novel chemical vapor deposition strategy of tin oxide (SnO₂) by vapor phase material reaction at room temperature and presents the applications to hydrogen detection using this material. Tin chloride anhydrate was used as the precursor, and it reacted with NH₃ to form Sn(OH)₄ nanospheres. The samples with Sn(OH)₄ nanospheres were subject to drying up at 80 °C, and then they transformed to polycrystalline SnO₂ nanospheres. The X-ray diffraction measurement was carried out to investigate the structural properties of the SnO₂ films annealed at various temperatures. The morphology of the samples was investigated by field-emission scanning electron microscopy. Micropellistor was fabricated based on the SnO₂ catalyst for hydrogen detection. Compared with the traditional method to make SnO₂ sensing material (hydrolysis of SnCl₄·5H₂O in basic solutions), the SnO₂ nanospheres prepared by this method have a higher relative sensitivity and a good linearity for the concentration of H₂ ranging from 0% v/v to 4% v/v. A short response time about 6 s was achieved.

Keywords

Tin oxide nanosphere chemical vapor deposition method hydrogen sensing

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