Extraordinary room-temperature hydrogen sensing capabilities with high humidity tolerance of PtSnO2 composite nanoceramics prepared using SnO2 agglomerate powder. (8th November 2018)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Zhu, Sheng; Li, Pengcheng; Wu, Guitai; Li, Zhenyu; Wu, Pei; Hu, Yongming; Gu, Haoshuang; Chen, Wanping
• Is Part Of: International journal of hydrogen energy. Volume 43:Number 45(2018)
• Page Start: 21177
• Page End: 21185
• Publication Date: 2018-11-08
• Subjects: Hydrogen -- Sensing -- SnO2 -- Pt -- Ceramics -- Agglomerate; Hydrogen as fuel -- Periodicals; Hydrogène (Combustible) -- Périodiques; Hydrogen as fuel; Periodicals; 665.81
• DOI: 10.1016/j.ijhydene.2018.09.120
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0360-3199

Abstract

Abstract: Two kinds of PtSnO2 composite nanoceramics have been prepared using SnO2 nanoparticles and SnO2 agglomerate powder separately. One is of a relatively uniform and porous microstructure with a specific surface area of 8.1 m 2 /g, and the other is of a rather non-uniform microstructure with large SnO2 agglomerates and crack-like pores and a specific surface area of 6.4 m 2 /g. While the samples of uniform microstructure typically show a sensitivity of 150 to 1% H2 – 20% O2 – N2 in air of 50% relative humidity (RH) at room temperature, those of non-uniform microstructure surprisingly show much higher sensitivities of 850 and 450 in air of 50% and 70% RH, respectively, to the same concentration of hydrogen. The influence of humidity on the samples has been further studied and a much higher humidity tolerance has been revealed for those samples of non-uniform microstructure. All these results demonstrate a clear and unexpected advantage of a non-uniform microstructure over a uniform one in humidity tolerance for room-temperature hydrogen-sensitive PtSnO2 composite nanoceramics. Highlights: High-performance hydrogen sensors were prepared using SnO2 agglomerate powder. A room-temperature sensitivity of 850 to 1% H2 for 50% relative humidity was found. A high humidity tolerance was obtained for a rather non-uniform microstructure.