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Enhanced Hydrogen Sensing Performance at Room Temperature Employing Photoactive Hybrid Pd Nanoparticle-Decorated
Thilini Thathsara1, Christopher J Harrison1,2, Rosalie K Hocking3
1School of Engineering, Swinburne University of Technology, Hawthorn, VIC 3122, Australia.
ACS Sensors
|October 18, 2025
Summary
A novel palladium-decorated silica-titania core-shell material (Pd/SiO2@TiO2) offers efficient room-temperature hydrogen (H2) gas sensing. This advanced material demonstrates high sensitivity and rapid response/recovery times under both light and dark conditions, promising for real-world applications.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Nanotechnology
- Chemical Sensing
Background:
- Developing sensitive and selective gas sensors is crucial for safety and industrial monitoring.
- Hydrogen (H2) gas detection requires materials that operate efficiently at room temperature.
- Core-shell nanostructures offer unique properties for enhanced material performance.
Purpose of the Study:
- To synthesize and characterize novel palladium nanoparticle-decorated mesoporous SiO2 core-TiO2 shell (Pd/SiO2@TiO2) nanospheres (NSs).
- To evaluate the H2 sensing performance of Pd/SiO2@TiO2 NSs at room temperature (25 °C) under visible light and dark conditions.
- To investigate the synergistic effects of Pd nanoparticles and the core-shell architecture on H2 sensing.
Main Methods:
- Layer-by-layer self-assembly strategy for synthesizing Pd/SiO2@TiO2 NSs.
- Characterization of NS morphology, size, and composition.
- Fabrication of a gas sensor using Pd/SiO2@TiO2 NSs and testing H2 sensing performance (response, recovery times, detection range, selectivity, stability) under varying conditions (illumination, humidity).
Main Results:
- Synthesized Pd/SiO2@TiO2 NSs with controlled sizes (SiO2: ~200 nm, Pd/SiO2@TiO2: ~229 nm, Pd NPs: ~3 nm).
- Achieved high H2 sensor response (22.83 under illumination, 7.4 in dark) with rapid response/recovery times (e.g., 68s response, 43s recovery at 1000 ppm H2 under illumination).
- Demonstrated broad detection range (50-10,000 ppm), excellent repeatability, humidity robustness (0-80% RH), high selectivity, and long-term stability (3 months).
Conclusions:
- The Pd/SiO2@TiO2 NSs exhibit excellent H2 sensing performance at room temperature, attributed to synergistic effects and nano-junctions.
- The material shows promise for practical H2 sensing applications due to its stability, selectivity, and robustness in various environmental conditions.
- The cost-effective synthesis and superior performance make Pd/SiO2@TiO2 NSs a competitive candidate for future hydrogen detection technologies.
