Nanostructured SnO2 Thin Films Research Articles

Improving photocatalytic performance: Creation and assessment of nanostructured SnO2 thin films, pure and with nickel doping, using spray pyrolysis

This study investigates conductive, transparent films of undoped and Ni-doped SnO2 deposited through water solvent spray pyrolysis, aiming to combat environmental water pollution. Examining these films using X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared absorption microscopy (FTIR), UV–Vis spectrophotometer, and Hall effect, the research focuses on photocatalytic degradation kinetics using rhodamine B (RhB) as a model pollutant from the textile industry.XRD results confirm tetragonal structures of SnO2 and Ni: SnO2 films with crystallite sizes ranging from 21.83 to 19.52 nm. The sprayed films exhibit resistivity variations (7.1 × 10−3 to 4.5 × 10−3) Ω.cm and figure of merit variations [(1.49 × 10−4 to 25.03 × 10−4); (2.69 × 10−4 to 9.1 × 10−4)] (Ω/sq)−1. Optical properties include ∼73% light transmission, ∼20% reflection, and ∼7% absorptance, with porosity (8.65–11.44)%, refractive index (2.88–1.57), extinction coefficient (0.0043–0.0013), dielectric constants (8.31–2.48 and 0.025–0.0041), optical density [(3.9 × 10+10–7.86 × 10+09) S−1], skin depth [(2.06 × 10−3–6.7 × 10−3) cm−1], and optical band gap with Urbach energy [(3.8–3.6) eV and (0.67–0.43) eV] obtained at 550 nm.The photocatalytic process, crucial for water pollution treatment, exhibits pH sensitivity (12.3–1.7) over varied times (0–90 min) and is influenced by the SnO2 thin film elaboration method. Notably, 0.5 M-concentration SnO2 films show the most efficient photocatalytic degradation rates. This research highlights the potential of SnO2 in environmentally friendly water pollution treatment, emphasizing its practical application in addressing crucial environmental challenges.

Growth and Dispersion Control of SnO2 Nanocrystals Employing an Amino Acid Ester Hydrochloride in Solution Synthesis: Microstructures and Photovoltaic Applications.

Tin oxide (SnO2) is a technologically important semiconductor with versatile applications. In particular, attention is being paid to nanostructured SnO2 materials for use as a part of the constituents in perovskite solar cells (PSCs), an emerging renewable energy technology. This is mainly because SnO2 has high electron mobility, making it favorable for use in the electron transport layer (ETL) in these devices, in which SnO2 thin films play a role in extracting electrons from the adjacent light-absorber, i.e., lead halide perovskite compounds. Investigation of SnO2 solution synthesis under diverse reaction conditions is crucial in order to lay the foundation for the cost-effective production of PSCs. This research focuses on the facile catalyst-free synthesis of single-nanometer-scale SnO2 nanocrystals employing an aromatic organic ligand (as the structure-directing agent) and Sn(IV) salt in an aqueous solution. Most notably, the use of an aromatic amino acid ester hydrochloride salt-i.e., phenylalanine methyl ester hydrochloride (denoted as L hereafter)-allowed us to obtain an aqueous precursor solution containing a higher concentration of ligand L, in addition to facilitating the growth of SnO2 nanoparticles as small as 3 nm with a narrow size distribution, which were analyzed by means of high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HR-TEM). Moreover, the nanoparticles were proved to be crystallized and uniformly dispersed in the reaction mixture. The environmentally benign, ethanol-based SnO2 nanofluids stabilized with the capping agent L for the Sn(IV) ions were also successfully obtained and spin-coated to produce a SnO2 nanoparticle film to serve as an ETL for PSCs. Several SnO2 ETLs that were created by varying the temperature of nanoparticle synthesis were examined to gain insight into the performance of PSCs. It is thought that reaction conditions that utilize high concentrations of ligand L to control the growth and dispersion of SnO2 nanoparticles could serve as useful criteria for designing SnO2 ETLs, since hydrochloride salt L can offer significant potential as a functional compound by controlling the microstructures of individual SnO2 nanoparticles and the self-assembly process to form nanostructured SnO2 thin films.

Excimer laser processing of nanostructured SnO2 thin films and its impact on LPG sensing

KrF excimer laser (λ = 248 nm) has been employed to anneal nanocrystalline Tin oxide (SnO2) films deposited at 200 °C using spray pyrolysis. With the increase of irradiation laser fluence, the film crystallinity has been improved while the matrix stress decreased along all the crystal planes except (110) and (301), for an energy density of 150 mJ/cm2 as compared to non-irradiated films. The maximum liquid petroleum gas (LPG) response observed for a fluence 150 mJ/cm2 is 92.6% at 350 °C whereas a response is 4% at the onset sensing temperature of 100 °C. Moreover, the response and recovery times have also improved by the laser processing and the cross sensitivity for NH3 and NO2 gases are in a desirable range. FESEM images of irradiated films show polygonal shaped distributions of aggregated nanocrystalline particle-clusters with grain boundaries and nanovoids. XPS shows oxygen deficient lattice besides surface and/or pore-bound oxygen contributions. Raman analyses confirm the sub-stoichiometric SnO2-x phases and a high concentration of defects such as oxygen vacancies (OVs) on surface sites. Based on these observations, the gas sensing mechanism is discussed in brief.

Spray Pyrolyzed Praseodymium Doped SnO2 Thin Film with Fast Response to LPG: Analysis Based on Microstructural Features

Praseodymium (Pr) doped (0.1 to 6 wt. %) nanostructured SnO2 thin films are prepared via nebulizer assisted spray deposition process at a deposition temperature of 320 °C. The analyses show that the films grow in (110), (301) and (310) preferred orientations. The fabricated sensing films are exposed to LPG at 500 ppm concentration and at different operating temperatures. In 500 ppm of LPG, at an operating temperature of 350 °C, a commendable sensor response of 99 % with fast response time of 9 s and recovery time of 11 s is shown by 1wt.% Pr doped film, which is appreciable compared to pristine SnO2 film. The sensor response reduces at lower operating temperatures. Microstructural investigations justify the gas sensing performance of 1 wt.% Pr doped SnO2 thin film. Raman and photoluminescence studies give an insight into oxygen vacancies and trapped states that have a crucial influence on gas sensing.

Spray Pyrolysed Nanostructured Gold-Doped Tin Oxide (Auto) Thin Films

Nanostructured SnO2 thin films were grown by the chemical spray pyrolysis (CSP) method. Homemade spray pyrolysis technique is employed to prepare thin films. SnO2 is wide band gap semiconductor material whose film is deposited on glass substrate. A gold nanoparticle-doped tin oxide thin film (AuTO) was also prepared. UV-VIS (ultraviolet visible) spectroscopy and four-point probe analysis are done for optical and electrical analysis. UV-Visible absorption spectra show that the band gap of SnO2 thin film is 3.78 eV and 3.82 eV for AuTO. Band gap of SnO2 thin film can be tuned that it can be used in optical devices. The films have transmittance increases (to about 60%) and the absorbance decreases in the visible region of the electromagnetic spectrum. The electrical conductivity of the Tin Oxide is enhanced by functionalizing with the Gold nanoparticles. It is higher than that of the Tin oxide only; 0.77 x 10-2 (Ohm cm)-1 and 3.55 x 10-2 (Ohm cm)-1 for SnO2 and AuTO respectively. These properties reveal that Tin Oxide doped with gold can actually be a good material for a transparent conducting oxide to be used in photovoltaic fabrication and in electronics.

Enhancement of multifunctional optoelectronic and spintronic applications of nanostructured Cr-doped SnO2 thin films by conducting microstructural, optical, and magnetic measurements

A chemical synthesis method was used to produce Cr-doped SnO2 nanoparticles. By using the TEM technique, the nanocrystalline nature of the Sn1-xCrxO2 (0.0 ≤ x ≤ 0.1) nanopowder was confirmed. With different Cr concentrations, the electron beam deposition technique was used to deposit a series of Sn1-xCrxO2 nanocrystalline thin films on a silica substrate. X-ray diffraction (XRD), atomic force microscopy (AFM), spectroscopic ellipsometry (SE), and vibrating sample magnetometry (VSM) techniques were used to examine the physical properties of the deposited films. The nanocrystalline nature of the Sn1-xCrxO2 (0.0 ≤ x ≤ 0.1) thin film was confirmed by XRD and AFM morphology measurements. The XRD spectrum of the Sn1-xCrxO2 nanocrystalline film demonstrated a tetragonal crystal structure with no detectable extra phases. The optical measurements showed that as the Cr content increases, the direct optical energy gap Eg decreases without any sign of solubility limit up to x ≤ 0.1. The decrease in Eg is attributed to the sp-d exchange interaction. Also, the spectral behavior of the refractive index dispersion of the Cr-doped SnO2 indicates that as the Cr dopant increases, the refractive index of the deposited film also increases, which is attributed to the increase in the polarizability. Moreover, as the Cr content raises the atomic number, the density of the deposited film increases from 1.43 × 1022 cm−3 for SnO2 to 1.57 × 1022 cm−3 for Sn0·9Cr0·1O2. Further, the behavior of the refractive index dispersion of the deposited film was revealed using a single oscillator model proposed by Wemple-DiDomenico (WDD). Our calculations revealed that as the Cr concentration increases, the value of oscillator energy Eo decreases owing to the decrease in Eg, whereas the value of dispersion energy Ed increases because of the chemical structural changes such as the lattice parameters. Finally, the magnetic studies revealed that incorporating a small fraction of Cr into SnO2 produces room temperature ferromagnetism in the film, which is gradually suppressed by a further increase in Cr doping. These findings indicate that the Cr-doped SnO2 film can be recommended for optoelectronic and spintronic device applications.

The effect of solvents on the growth and key properties of tin oxide thin films deposited via chemical spray pyrolysis

The influence of solvents on various properties of SnO2 thin films deposited by spray pyrolysis technique is reported in this work. Six different solvents viz. isopropanol, 1-propanol, ethanol, methanol, water and H2O2 were used for making the precursor solution for spraying. The impact of these solvents on the crystal structure, surface morphology, optical and electrical properties of the prepared thin films is investigated using XRD, FESEM, PL, UV–Vis spectra and Hall measurement analysis. X-ray diffraction analysis revealed that samples prepared with alcoholic solvents are more crystalline compared to the samples prepared with water or H2O2 precursor solvents. Samples prepared with alcoholic solvents produced nanostructured thin films while mat-like morphology was observed for films prepared with water and H2O2 precursor solvents. Thin film samples prepared with alcoholic solvents exhibited good optical transmittance (>75%) in the visible region compared to the samples deposited using water or H2O2 solvents. Photoluminescence measurements revealed enhanced UV and violet emissions in the samples prepared with alcoholic solvents, while the emissions were very weak in the samples deposited using water or H2O2 solvents. The effect of precursor solvents on thickness, band gap, carrier concentration, mobility, resistivity and figure of merit of the samples are also explored. Based on the results obtained we recommend methanol as a precursor solvent followed by ethanol for preparing SnO2 thin films for TCO applications and isopropanol, 1-propanol or ethanol for depositing nanostructured SnO2 thin films.

Controlled optoelectronic properties and abrupt change in photosensitivity by suppressing density of oxygen vacancies in SnO2 nanocrystalline thin films prepared at various spray-deposition temperatures

Nanostructured SnO2 thin films were synthesized at various substrate temperatures using a modified chemical spray pyrolysis (MCSP) technique. The x-ray diffraction (XRD) patterns confirmed the presence of a rutile SnO2 with tetragonal structure for all the resultant film samples. The XRD results ascertained increase in the grain growth rate and consequent enhancement in crystallinity with increasing the spray-deposition temperature. The optical spectroscopic analysis revealed a significant increase in the optical transmission within the visible region as well as a considerable increase in the optical bandgap by increasing the deposition temperature. However, the spectral distribution of the absorption coefficient ascertained the dominance of direct allowed transition for the SnO2 film samples. The analysis of the current-voltage characteristic curves revealed that the variation of the spray-deposition temperature strongly influences the photosensitivity of the film samples. Based on the electrical results, these film samples reveal a semiconductor behaviour of the transport property over the entire investigated range of the working temperature, with two different conduction mechanisms. The optical and electrical results were combined to evaluate the influence of varying the deposition temperature on the figure of merit (FOM) factor for the SnO2 film samples.

Improved stability of gas sensor by inclusion of Sb in nanostructured SnO2 thin films grown on sodalime

In the present work an attempt has been made to improve the stability in the oxygen gas sensing property of SnO2 with Sb doping using low cost sol-gel spin coating techniques. Un-doped and Sb (0, 0.5, 1.0, 1.5 and 2 at. %) doped SnO2 thin films were deposited on sodalime glass substrate by spin coating technique at 2500 rpm and annealed at 400 °C. The properties of thin films were investigated by their structural, morphological, optical and electrical analysis for oxygen gas sensing at low operating temperature. The crystalline phase and crystallite size were measured by X-ray diffraction pattern. It was observed that peaks show the polycrystalline nature with the tetragonal crystal structure. Scanning electron microscopic images revealed that all thin films have spherical type morphology. The transmittance spectra were recorded in the wavelength range 200–800 nm and optical band gap was varied from 3.56 eV to 3.92 eV with increasing doping concertation. The I–V measurements were recorded from −5 V to 5 V by two probe method. The highest conductivity was observed for 1 at. % Sb doped SnO2 thin film sample. The gas sensing properties of above thin films were measured as a function of operating temperature in the temperature range from 30 °C to 125 °C and the highest response was obtained for 1 at. % Sb doped SnO2 thin film sample. It has been observed from the experimental results that Sb doped SnO2 thin films exhibit the improved gas response, low operating temperature and good selectivity.

Microwave-enhanced pyrolysis grown nanostructured SnO2 thin films for near room temperature LPG detection and the impedance analysis

Near room temperature LPG sensing ability of polycrystalline nanoparticulate SnO2 thin films prepared by pyrolysis of microwave irradiated (MwI) precursor is investigated without any post annealing process. This technique facilitates to produce homogeneous nano-structured thin films in just 15 min. The phase composition, morphology, and microstructure of the films obtained by pyrolysis of different duration MwI precursors are examined by XRD, FT-IR, TEM and HRTEM. The gas sensing properties of the films display a significant advancement in lowering LPG and CO2 sensing temperature in addition to sensitivity in comparison with the films from unirradiated precursor. The LPG sensors have shown considerable response down from 50 ppm at a lower operating temperature of 50 °C and for CO2 from ∼150 °C, along with high selectivity to NH3 and NO2. The 1 min irradiated films exhibit an excellent LPG response of −98.4 % in 500 ppm with a resistance ratio Ra/Rg of 78, whereas for 3 min irradiated, the CO2 response is +77.9 % in 500 ppm of gas. The photoluminescence and dielectric properties are investigated to elucidate the factors responsible for the enhancement in response of the microwave processed films. From the results of the impedance investigation, the role of interface states promoted by defects in microstructure on the gas sensing of SnO2 films is discussed.

Influence of Substrate Temperature on Structural, Electrical and Optical Properties of Nanostructured SnO2 thin Films Deposited by Spray Pyrolysis Technique

Influence of Substrate Temperature on Structural, Electrical and Optical Properties of Nanostructured SnO2 thin Films Deposited by Spray Pyrolysis Technique

Nanostructured SnO2 thin films: effects of porosity and catalytic metals on gas-sensing sensitivity

In this paper, an overview of structural and sensing properties of undoped and Pt/Pd-doped tin oxide (SnO2) thin films obtained by the aerosol pyrolysis (pyrosol process) is provided. The detection mechanism and the role of the small metal nanoparticles (NPs) in the sensing processes have been discussed in detail. It has been specifically shown how tightly the film microstructure correlates with the catalytic metal concentration, and thus acts as a driving factor of film sensitivity evolution. The normalized evolution of the experimental sensitivity is closely fitted by the product of film porosity and NPs number density. Under CO and H2 mixed with neutral gas, dynamic electrical conductance measurements show that the dispersions of metallic elements induce a two-step time-dependent behavior. Only, when they are incorporated in a very weak quantity (which corresponds to very small particles), Pt/Pd nanoparticles change in a reversible manner, their oxidation state, according to the nature of the atmosphere. An electronic model has been proposed to explain the high sensitivity observed at low temperature. Different situation has been observed in the presence if H2S gas when the conductance increases smoothly without any induction period.

Influence of Fe2+/Fe3+ ions in tuning the optical band gap of SnO2 nanoparticles synthesized by TSP method: Surface morphology, structural and optical studies

Fe doped nanostructured SnO2 thin films are prepared by a thermal spray pyrolysis (TSP) method at a substrate temperature (Ts) 450 °C. In addition, an effort is made to comprehend the effect of Fe doping on the surface morphology, micro-structural and optical properties of SnO2 thin film. The result of XRD data confirms that the fabricated SnO2 films are tetragonal cassiterite structure and the lattice parameters are slightly changed with Fe2+/Fe3+ contents. The values of lattice parameters are analogous in Rietveld refinement and DFT function. The lattice strain and stresses value are ranging from 2.07 to 0.13, × 10−3 and 0.71–0.04 respectively. The films are made up of nano-sized crystals with slender and polyhedron shaped particle size ranging from 17.23 to 159.50 nm observed by field emission scanning electron microscope (FESEM), Scherrer's formula and uniform deformation model (UDM). With increasing Fe concentrations, the optical band gap of SnO2 films is decreased from 3.89 to 3.39 eV. Reduction in optical band gap is attributed to the influence of Fe ions and conduction/valence bands of SnO2 structure. Fe doped SnO2 nanostructured film addresses the suitability of the material to have a good potential application in optoelectronic devices.

Influence of surface defects and preferential orientation in nanostructured Ce-doped SnO2 thin films by nebulizer spray deposition for lowering the LPG sensing temperature to 150 °C

Cerium-doped (0.1 to 6 wt.%) nanostructured SnO2 thin films are prepared via nebulizer spray deposition process. The analyses show that the films grow in (301) and (211) preferred orientations. The fabricated sensing films are exposed to LPG at different ppm concentrations and different operating temperatures. In 500 ppm of LPG at an operating temperature of 350 °C, an impressive sensitivity of 89.2 with response time of 7 s and recovery time of 9 s is shown by 2 wt.% Ce-doped film, where the sensitivity is almost 18 times higher than that of pristine SnO2 film. The sensitivities get reduced to 25 at lesser operating temperature of 300 °C and to 1.17 at 150 °C. The films show significant selectivity to CO2, especially at operating temperatures above 300 °C. Raman and photoluminescence studies give an insight into oxygen vacancies and trapped states which influence the enhanced gas response.

Facile synthesis of nano‐structured SnO 2 films and their properties in ethanol gas sensing

Four types of nano-structured SnO2 thin films were synthesised via a facile one-step hydrothermal method on Ti substrate. All the films were prepared by using SnCl4 and NaOH as the precursors with urea, mercaptoacetic acid or sodium citrate as the adjusting reagent. The prepared films were characterised by scanning electron microscope, X-ray diffractometer, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and their properties in ethanol gas sensing were examined. It was found that addition of organic reagents resulted in the formation of different nano-scaled morphologies, i.e. nanowires, nanonets, transparent nanosheets and nanograsses. The characterisation of XPS indicated that SnO2 was successfully deposited. The gas sensing experiments revealed that morphologies of the nano-SnO2 films had a great effect on their gas sensing properties. The possible reasons involved were presented.

Tin Acetylacetonate as a Precursor for Producing Gas-Sensing SnO2 Thin Films

To expand the range of precursors used in the sol–gel technology for applying nanostructured SnO2 thin films promising as components of semiconductor chemical gas sensors, the efficiency of using tin acetylacetonate solutions with various precursor concentrations was demonstrated. It was determined that finely divided SnO2 with a crystallite size of 3–4 nm (cassiterite) can be obtained by hydrolysis by atmospheric moisture in the course of solvent evaporation at room temperature. Using tin acetylacetonate solutions with various precursor concentrations for applying SnO2 thin films by dip coating to the surface of rough ceramic Al2O3-based substrates with platinum interdigital electrodes and a microheater resulted in significant differences in microstructure, continuity, thickness, and porosity of the produced coatings. In a lower-concentration (0.13 mol/L) tin acetylacetonate solution, a multilayer dense continuous SnO2 coating was applied, whereas in a higher-concentration (0.25 mol/L) solution, the formed layer comprised aggregated nanoparticles 30–60 nm in size and had much more defects and higher porosity. The sensitivity of the obtained thin-film nanostructures to the most practically important gaseous analytes: CO, H2, CH4, CO2, and NO2. The produced two-dimensional nanomaterials were shown to be promising for detecting carbon monoxide at 200–300°C in dry air.

Tailoring the nonlinear optical susceptibility χ(3), photoluminescence and optical band gap of nanostructured SnO2 thin films by Zn doping for photonic device applications

We report the influence of Zinc (Zn) doping on the structural, optical, and nonlinear optical properties of tin oxide (SnO2) thin films prepared by chemical spray pyrolysis technique. The photoluminescence studies shows the formation of oxygen vacancy defect states upon Zn incorporation. Nonlinear behavior observed in NBE emission were attributed to variations in the crystallinity of the samples upon Zn incorporation. X-Ray diffraction patterns reveals that all the films are polycrystalline in nature having tetragonal rutile structure. The band gap energy values decreased from 3.71 eV to 3.30 eV with increase in the Zn concentration due to formation of defect states and atomic structural disordering. The surface morphology and average surface roughness of the samples were investigated using Atomic force microscopy which endorses the shift from the crystalline state to the amorphous state. The sign and magnitude of nonlinear refractive index and nonlinear absorption coefficient was found out by Z-scan technique with a continuous wave laser as the excitation source. The third order optical Susceptibility χ(3) has found to be increased from 1.08 × 10−3 esu to 2.20 × 10−3 esu upon Zn incorporation. The Z-scan results reveal that the films exhibit self-defocusing nonlinearity. Enhancement in the optical nonlinearity upon doping enables the applicability of the material in various optoelectronic device applications.

Impact of surfactants on electrical conduction and preferred orientation of spray-pyrolysed nanostructured SnO2 thin films for LPG and ammonia sensing

SnO2 nanostructured thin films by spray pyrolysis technique have been successfully synthesised with surfactants isopropyl alcohol (IPA) and sodium dodecyl sulphate (SDS) independently. The effect of surfactants on the structural, and morphological properties of SnO2 films are investigated by different techniques such as X-ray diffraction, field emission scanning electron microscopy, and high resolution transmission electron microscopy. The deposited tetragonal rutile-phased SnO2 thin films are benefited by morphological modifications along with grain size reduction on changeover of IPA to SDS in the precursor. The sensing properties of the samples are investigated for LPG and NH3 at different operating temperatures. For a concentration of 500 ppm, the SDS employed film shows a maximum response of 96.7% for LPG and 86.8% for ammonia, at an operating temperature of 350 °C. By using SDS, the LPG sensing temperature could be lowered to 200 °C. The charge transport in the films is analysed by studying the dc and ac electrical conduction and a feasible mechanism has been envisaged in relation to the enhanced sensing characteristics of the films. By studying the dielectric constant variation with frequency and by analysing the exponent factor change, it is confirmed that multi-hopping process is responsible for conduction in the films.

Organic-free synthesis of nanostructured SnO2 thin films by chemical solution deposition

Novel synthetic approach for preparation of single phase porous SnO2 thin films with controllable grain size and porosity has been developed. The entire process requires neither organic solvents nor addition of any complexing agent. The thin films were deposited using the spin coating technique from an aqueous solution prepared by dissolving tin(II) oxalate in hydrogen peroxide. X-ray diffraction analysis showed that the deposited films are single-phase and their crystallite size increases as the annealing temperature is increased from 300 to 800 °C. It was also found that the films exhibit a preferred (110) orientation of the crystallites. Scanning electron microscopy and atomic force microscopy were employed for the estimation of thickness and surface morphological features of the films. Thickness of the films after 10 deposition cycles was about 160 nm. Roughness of the films increased with the annealing temperature increasing. It has been found from the UV–Vis spectrometry measurements that the films are highly transparent in visible spectral range. The optical band gap was determined to be in the range from 3.86 to 4.00 eV depending on the annealing temperature.

Synthesis of nano-structured tin oxide thin films with faster response to LPG and ammonia by spray pyrolysis

Nanostructured SnO2 thin film have been efficiently fabricated by spray pyrolysis using atomizers of different types. The structure and morphology of as-prepared samples are investigated by techniques such as x-ray diffraction, and field-emission scanning electron microscopy. Significant morphological changes are observed in films by modifying the precursor atomization as a result of change of spray device. The optical characterization indicates that change in atomization, affects the absorbance and the band gap, following the varied crystallite size. Gas sensing investigations on ultrasonically prepared tin oxide films show NH3 response at operating temperatures lower down to 50 °C. For 1000 ppm of LPG the response at 350 °C for air blast atomizer film is about 99%, with short response and recovery times. The photoluminescence emmision spectra reveal the correlation between atomization process and the quantity of oxygen vacancies present in the samples. The favorable size reduction in microstructure with good crystallinity with slight change in lattice properties suggest their scope in gas sensing applications. On the basis of these characterizations, the mechanism of LPG and NH3 gas sensing of nanostructured SnO2 thin films has been proposed.