Gas Sensing Properties of SnO₂-Pd Nanoparticles Thick Film by Applying In Situ Synthesis-Loading Method

In this study, SnO₂-Pd nanoparticles(NPs) were made with an in situ synthesis-loading method. The in situ method is to simultaneously load a catalytic element during the procedure to synthesize SnO₂ NPs. SnO₂-Pd NPs were synthesized by using the in situ method and were heat-treated at 300 °C. As a result, tetragonal structured SnO₂-Pd NPs, having an ultrafine size of less than 10 nm and a uniformly distributed Pd catalyst in the SnO₂ lattice, were well made and a gas sensitive thick film with a thickness of c.a. 40 μm was well fabricated by using the NPs. Gas sensing characterization for CH₄ gas indicated that the gas sensitivity, R₃₅₀₀/R₁₀₀₀, of the thick film consistent with SnO₂-Pd NPs synthesized with the in situ synthesis-loading method, followed by heat-treatment at 500 °C, was enhanced to 0.59. Therefore, the in situ synthesis-loading method is available for synthesis of SnO₂-Pd NPs for gas sensitive thick film.