SUMMARY
The noxious gas sensors were developed successfully using flame-spray-made SnO2 nanoparticles as the sensing materials. The functionalized nanoparticle properties were further analyzed by XRD, BET and TEM analyses. The SnO2 nanoparticles (SSABET: 141.6 m2/g) were investigated revealing non-agglomerated spheroidal, hexagonal, rectangle (3 - 10 nm), and rod-like (3 - 5 nm in width and 5 - 20 nm in length) morphologies. The sensing films were prepared by spin coating onto the Al2O3 substrates interdigitated with Au electrodes. The sensing films were significantly developed in order to detect with H2S (0.5 - 10 ppm) and SO2 (20 - 500 ppm) at the operating temperature ranging from 200 - 350°C. After sensing test, the cross-section of sensing film was analyzed by SEM analyses. It was found that SnO2 sensing film showed higher sensitive to H2S gas with very fast response at lower concentrations (3 s, to 10 ppm). The cross sensitivities of the sensor towards different concentrations of H2S, CO, H2, and C2H2 were measured at 300°C. The sensor evidently shows much less response to CO, H2, and C2H2 than to H2S indicating higher selectivity for H2S of the SnO2 sensor at the lower concentration (10 ppm). In addition, the SnO2 sensor was the most suitable candidate for the efficient detection of H2S noxious gas.