Polyaniline assisted by TiO2:SnO2 nanoparticles as a hydrogen gas sensor at environmental conditions

Abstract

In the present research, polyaniline assisted by TiO2:SnO2 nanoparticles was synthesized and deposited onto an epoxy glass substrate with Cu-interdigited electrodes for gas sensing application. To examine the efficiency of the polyaniline/TiO2:SnO2 nanocomposite (PTS) as a hydrogen (H2) gas sensor, its nature, stability, response, recovery/response time have been studied with a special focus on its ability to work at environmental conditions. H2 gas sensing results demonstrated that a PTS sensor with 20 and 10wt% of anatase-TiO2 and SnO2 nanoparticles, respectively, has the best response time (75s) with a recovery time of 117s at environmental conditions. The highest (lowest) response (recovery time) was 6.18 (46s) in PTS sensor with 30 and 15wt% of anatase- (rutile-)TiO2 and SnO2 nanoparticles, respectively, at 0.8vol.% H2 gas. Further, the H2 gas sensing mechanism of PTS sensor has also been studied.