Propane gas-sensing properties of pure and Pd-doped tin oxide nanostructures

• Published in: Journal of materials science. Materials in electronics 2023, Vol.34 (3), p.228, Article 228
• Main Authors: Karthik, T. V. K., Olvera-Amador, M. de la L., Maldonado, Arturo, Hernandez, Angélica G., Gómez-Pozos, Heberto
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Characterization and Evaluation of Materials; Chemical synthesis; Chemistry and Materials Science; Chlorides; Clusters; Crystallites; Dopants; Gas sensors; High resolution electron microscopy; Materials Science; Microscopy; Morphology; Nanostructure; Operating temperature; Optical and Electronic Materials; Palladium; Propane; Raman spectroscopy; Solid phases; Stannic chloride; Tin dioxide; Tin oxides; Vibration mode
• ISSN: 0957-4522; 1573-482X
• DOI: 10.1007/s10854-022-09636-1

Pure and palladium-doped tin oxide nanopowders were synthesized by wet chemical synthesis with Tin (IV) chloride pentahydrate and palladium (II) chloride as a precursor and dopant source, respectively. Effect of palladium (Pd) concentration on the structural, morphological, and propane gas-sensing properties were studied in detail. X-ray diffraction analysis confirms the tetragonal rutile phase structure with (110) as the preferential orientation of SnO 2 . Also, the presence of Pd and PdO phases was observed confirming the formation of dopant clusters on the surface. The dopant incorporation into the SnO 2 lattice was also observed by Raman analysis with a right shift in the vibrational mode. Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) studies show the formation of both large and small grains with irregular shapes and nanometric crystallites. High-resolution Transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM) confirms the tetragonal shape of the particles and the undulations observed due to dopant incorporation and the formation of surface dopant clusters. Gas-sensing responses of all SnO 2 powder were obtained for propane gas, at different gas concentrations and operating temperatures. The highest sensing response was obtained for SnO 2 powder deposited at 4 wt%. By utilizing a simple chemical synthesis and pellet manufacturing, a high surface area-doped nanostructures were obtained, which show the highest propane-sensing response. Finally, in this work, a complete and systematic structural and morphological analysis of all samples were performed and the effect of Pd doping wt% on the propane gas sensing of SnO 2 structures was clearly explained utilizing a schematic sensing mechanism.