Polystyrene-Templated Microstructure Engineering of Aerosol-Deposited WO3-x Films for Enhanced Hydrogen Sensing
Xin Zhang1, Yuan-Bo Zhang2, Jong-Min Oh2
1Suzhou Institute of Biomedical Engineering and Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Suzhou 215163, China.
Materials (Basel, Switzerland)
|July 28, 2026
Summary
Researchers developed novel porous tungsten oxide (WO3) hydrogen sensors for lithium-ion battery safety. These sensors offer enhanced detection from 10 ppb to 20,000 ppm, crucial for preventing thermal runaway.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Chemical Engineering
- Sensor Technology
Background:
- High-performance hydrogen (H2) sensors are vital for monitoring lithium-ion battery thermal runaway.
- Existing sensors require improvement for reliable safety applications.
Purpose of the Study:
- To fabricate porous WO3-based sensing films with tunable oxygen stoichiometry for H2 detection.
- To enhance H2 sensor performance for lithium-ion battery safety monitoring.
Main Methods:
- Utilized a polystyrene sacrificial phase to create porous WO3.
- Employed Powder Aerosol Deposition (PAD) followed by sintering at 500 °C.
- Simultaneously regulated pore structure and defect chemistry (oxygen vacancies).
Main Results:
- Successfully generated interconnected pores and tunable oxygen deficiency in WO3-x films.
- Achieved enhanced H2 diffusion, surface reactivity, and charge transfer.
- WP5 sample demonstrated stable H2 detection from 10 ppb to 20,000 ppm at 120 °C with superior response.
Conclusions:
- The strategy effectively engineers porosity and defect chemistry in WO3-x sensing films.
- Pd/PS-WO3-x sensors show significant potential for lithium-ion battery thermal runaway warning.
