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. 2011;11(4):4425-37.
doi: 10.3390/s110404425. Epub 2011 Apr 15.

Oxidation of hydrocarbons on the surface of tin dioxide chemical sensors

Helena Teterycz  1 , Patryk Halek, Kamil Wiśniewski, Grzegorz Halek, Tomasz Koźlecki, Izabela Polowczyk
Affiliations

Oxidation of hydrocarbons on the surface of tin dioxide chemical sensors

Helena Teterycz et al. Sensors (Basel). 2011.

Abstract

The paper presents the results of our investigation on the effect of the molecular structure of organic vapors on the characteristics of resistive chemical gas sensors. The sensors were based on tin dioxide and prepared by means of thick film technology. The electrical and catalytic examinations showed that the abstraction of two hydrogen atoms from the organic molecule and formation of a water in result of reaction with a chemisorbed oxygen ion, determine the rate of oxidation reactions, and thus the sensor performance. The rate of the process depends on the order of carbon atoms and Lewis acidity of the molecule. Therefore, any modification of the surface centers of a sensor material, modifies not only the sensor sensitivity, but also its selectivity.

Keywords: Lewis acidity; alcohol; gas sensor; molecular structure; oxidation reaction.

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Figures

Figure 1.
Figure 1.
X-ray diffractogram of the powder and the thick film SnO2.
Figure 2.
Figure 2.
SEM micrograph of gas sensing layer of tin dioxide.
Figure 3.
Figure 3.
Temperature dependence of conductance at the atmosphere containing various organic compounds.
Figure 4.
Figure 4.
Temperature dependence of sensor conductance in the atmospheres with different concentration of n-butanol.
Figure 5.
Figure 5.
Temperature dependence of sensors sensitivity in the presence of different organic compounds.
Figure 6.
Figure 6.
Temperature dependence of sensors sensitivity on (a) the number of carbon atoms in the molecule, (b) the molecule shape, (c) order of alcohol, (d) kind of functional group.
Figure 7.
Figure 7.
Temperature dependence of sensitivity value divided by the number of carbon atoms in the molecule.
Figure 8.
Figure 8.
Modified sensitivity dependence versus partial pressure of alcohols.
Figure 9.
Figure 9.
Shape of examined organic compounds, sensitivity and working temperature of sensors, dipole moment and relative electric permittivity as well as the changes in Lewis acidity and relative ease of removing of hydrogen atom from molecule .
Figure 10.
Figure 10.
Efficiency of reaction of condensation of n-butyl alcohol at the presence SnO2 catalyst and sensitivity of sensor based on SnO2 in the presence of n-butanol.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

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