Electrohydrodynamic-Jet-Printed SnO₂-TiO₂-Composite-Based Microelectromechanical Systems Sensor with Enhanced Ethanol...

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Nanotechnology
• Sensor Technology

Background:

• Ethanol sensors are crucial in chemical, environmental, transportation, and healthcare industries.
• There is a continuous demand for high-performance, low-power ethanol sensors.
• Micro-electromechanical system (MEMS) devices offer advantages for gas sensing applications.

Purpose of the Study:

• To synthesize SnO2-TiO2 nanocomposites for enhanced ethanol sensing.
• To fabricate ethanol sensors on MEMS chips using electrohydrodynamic (EHD) printing.
• To investigate the effect of SnO2:TiO2 molar ratios on sensor performance.

Main Methods:

• Synthesis of SnO2-TiO2 nanocomposites via ball milling.
• Fabrication of gas-sensitive films on MEMS chips using EHD printing.
• Testing ethanol sensing performance at varying temperatures and concentrations.

Main Results:

• Even dispersion of SnO2 and TiO2 was achieved, forming a well-defined gas-sensitive film.
• The SnO2-TiO2 composite (1:1 molar ratio) showed the best performance, with a response of 25.6 to 50 ppm ethanol at 288 °C.
• The composite sensor's response was 7.2 times higher than SnO2 and 1.8 times higher than TiO2 sensors.

Conclusions:

• The SnO2-TiO2 nanocomposite demonstrates superior ethanol sensing capabilities.
• Enhanced sensitivity is attributed to increased reactive oxygen species and optimized material resistance.
• EHD printing on MEMS chips is a viable method for fabricating high-performance ethanol sensors.