CO and C3H8Sensitivity Behavior of Zinc Antimonate Prepared by a Microwave-Assisted Solution Method

Héctor Guillen-Bonilla,José-Trinidad Guillén-Bonilla,Verónica-M Rodríguez-Betancourtt,Jaime Santoyo-Salazar,Lorenzo Gildo-Ortiz,Martín Flores-Martínez,Juan Reyes-Gómez,M De La L Olvera-Amador

doi:10.1155/2015/979543

Abstract

ZnSb2O6has been synthesized by a microwave-assisted solution method in order to test its possible application as a gas sensor. Zinc nitrate, antimony trichloride, and ethylenediamine were used as precursors and deionized water as solvent. Microwave radiation, with a power of ~350 W, was applied for solvent evaporation. The thermal decomposition of the precursors leads to the formation of ZnSb2O6at 600°C. This oxide crystallized in a tetragonal structure with cell parametersa=4.66 Å,c=9.26 Å and space groupP42/mnm. Microwires and microrods formed by nanocrystals were observed by means of scanning and transmission electron microscopies (SEM and TEM, resp.). Pellets of the oxide were tested as gas sensors in flowing atmospheres of carbon monoxide (CO) and propane (C3H8). Sensitivity increased with the gas concentration (0–300 ppm) and working temperatures (ambient, 150 and 250°C) increase. The results indicate high sensitivity of ZnSb2O6in both gases at different concentrations and operating temperatures.

Highlights

The need of reliable detection devices for dangerous atmospheres has promoted a huge research since past decades on the development of semiconductor materials suitable as gas sensors
The type-n semiconductor zinc antimonate ZnSb2O6 has been extensively studied for gas sensing applications due to its high response to several toxic gases [24]
We synthesized the oxide through a microwave-assisted solutionmethod and prepared pellets with it in order to test its sensing capabilities in carbon monoxide (CO) and C3H8 atmospheres at relative low temperatures

Summary

Introduction

The need of reliable detection devices for dangerous atmospheres has promoted a huge research since past decades on the development of semiconductor materials suitable as gas sensors. Some other semiconductor types, with more complex crystal structures, are currently investigated, like the ones with perovskite structure: CaxPb1−xTiO3, SmFeO3, and SrFeO3 [15,16,17]; spinel structure: MgAl2O4, CdCr2O4, and ZnFe2O4 [18,19,20]; and oxides with trirutile-type structure: CoTa2O6, NiTa2O6, and CoSb2O6 [21,22,23] Among the latter, the type-n semiconductor zinc antimonate ZnSb2O6 has been extensively studied for gas sensing applications due to its high response to several toxic gases [24]. The zinc antimonate adopts a formula ASb2O6, where A can be substituted by the divalent Zn ion or the ions Ni, Co, Mg, and Cu, among others [27] This oxide belongs to the family of trirutile-type materials and crystallizes in a tetragonal structure with a space group P42/mnm [28]. We synthesized the oxide through a microwave-assisted solutionmethod and prepared pellets with it in order to test its sensing capabilities in CO and C3H8 atmospheres at relative low temperatures

Experimental Procedures

Results and Discussion

Conclusions