DYNAMICS OF RESPONSE OF A SENSOR BASED ON A NANOSTRUCTURED TIN DIOXIDE LAYER EXPOSED TO THE ISOPROPANOL VAPORS

С помощью золь-гель технологии синтезированы наноструктурированные газочувствительные пленки диоксида олова. Исследовано влияние температуры на проводимость сенсора в атмосфере очищенного воздуха, на величину отклика сенсора при воздействии паров изопропанола различной концентрации. На температурной зависимости проводимости плёнки диоксида олова в атмосфере чистого воздуха наблюдается локальный минимум. Уменьшение проводимости с ростом температуры в диапазоне 300...350С может быть связано с диссоциацией молекулярной формы адсорбированного кислорода. При температурах выше 350 °С проводимость возрастает из-за десорбции атомарной формы адсорбированного кислорода с поверхности газочувствительного слоя диоксида олова. Обнаружено, что наибольший отклик к газовым пробам достигается при рабочей температуре сенсора порядка 350°С. Предполагается, что это обусловлено наличием на поверхности атомарной формы хемосорбированного кислорода. Проведен анализ концентрационных и температурных зависимостей времени отклика сенсора при воздействии паров изопропанола. Время отклика сенсора монотонно уменьшается с повышением содержания примеси в газовых пробах, по-видимому, из-за увеличения скорости адсорбции частиц примеси из газовой фазы на поверхность газочувствительного слоя. Установлено, что зависимость времени отклика от рабочей температуры имеет аррениусовский вид, что может быть связано с термоактивированными адсорбционно-десорбционными и гетерогенными химическими процессами на поверхности активного слоя сенсора. Nanostructured gas-sensitive tin dioxide films have been synthesized by sol-gel technology. A conductivity vs temperature dependence of a gas sensor into atmosphere of synthetic air has been investigated. A response vs temperature dependence of a gas sensor into atmosphere of isopropanol vapors with various concentrations has been investigated. Local minimum on the temperature dependence of the tin dioxide film conductivity in clean air atmosphere were observed. A decrease in conductivity with increase temperature in the range of 300...350 °C can be associated with a dissociation molecular form of the adsorbed oxygen. At temperatures above 350 °C, conductivity increases because of desorption of the atomic form of the adsorbed oxygen on the surface of gas-sensitive tin dioxide film. The greatest response value is achieved at a sensor temperature equal to 350 °C. It is proposed that the reason is a domination of the atomic form of the chemisorbed oxygen on the surface. The analysis of response time vs concentration and response time vs temperature of gas sensor has been carried out. Sensor response time decreases monotonically with increase admixture substance in gas-probes, apparently because of increase in adsorption rate admixture particles on the surface of gas-sensitive film. It was found that the dependence of the response time on the operating temperature has an Arrhenius form. This may be associated with thermally activated adsorption-desorption processes and heterogeneous chemical reactions on the surface of sensor active layer.

Oxygen-plasma-assisted formaldehyde adsorption mechanism of SnO2 electrospun fibers

Abstract: Chemisorbed oxygen acts a crucial role in the redox reaction of semiconductor gas sensors, and which is of great significance for improving gas sensing performance. In this study, an oxygen-plasma-assisted technology is presented to enhance the chemisorbed oxygen for improving the formaldehyde sensing performance of SnO2 electropun fiber. An inductively coupled plasma device was used for oxygen plasma treatment of SnO2 electrospun fibers. The surface of SnO2 electrospun fibers was bombarded with high-energy oxygen plasma for facilitating the chemisorption of electronegative oxygen molecules on the SnO2 (110) surface to obtain an oxygen-rich structure. Oxygen-plasma-assisted SnO2 electrospun fibers exhibited excellent formaldehyde sensing performance. The formaldehyde adsorption mechanism of oxygen-rich SnO2 was investigated using density functional theory. After oxygen plasma modification, the adsorption energy and the charge transfer number of formaldehyde to SnO2 were increased significantly. And an unoccupied electronic state appeared in the SnO2 band structure, which could enhance the formaldehyde adsorption ability of SnO2. The gas sensing test revealed that plasma-treated SnO2 electrospun fibers exhibited excellent gas sensing properties to formaldehyde, low operating temperature, high response sensitivity, and considerable cross-selectivity. Thus, plasma modification is a simple and effective method to improve the gas sensing performance of sensors.

The poisoning effect of K, Ca and Na on CeZrTiAl catalyst with nanosheet skeleton structure

The poisoning effect of KNO3, NaNO3, and Ca(NO3)2 on CeZrTiAl catalyst for selective catalytic reduction of NO with NH3 was investigated. It was found that the activity deactivation rate follows K> Na > Ca. SEM and BET showed that the accumulation of catalysts was severe after poisoning, and the nanosheet γ-Al2O3 skeleton structure disappeared due to alkali coating. The decrease of the specific surface area is accompanied by pore blockage, making the catalyst unable to expose rich reaction sites. In addition, the fewer surface Ce3+ and chemisorbed oxygen on the surface of the poisoned catalyst weaken the cycle between Ce3+ and Ce4+, resulting in bad redox performance. Thus, the failure to realize the efficient oxidation of NO to NO2. Another critical reason for catalyst poisoning failure is that the decrease of surface acid sites seriously affects the adsorption and activation of NH3 and NOx on the catalyst surface.

MoO2 Nanospheres Synthesized by Microwave-Assisted Solvothermal Method for the Detection of H2S in Wide Concentration Range at Low Temperature

It is crucial to develop highly energy-efficient and selective sensors for wide concentration range of H2S, a common toxic gas that widely exists in petrochemical industries. In this work, MoO2 nanospheres were rapidly synthesized by microwave-assisted solvothermal method, and were subsequently fabricated into H2S gas sensor. The MoO2 nanospheres-based sensor exhibited excellent response toward H2S with good linearity in a wide concentration range (10–240 ppm). Besides, this sensor presented low working temperature, good repeatability, and selectivity against CH4, H2, and CO. The outstanding sensing performance results from the reaction between H2S and abundant chemisorbed oxygen introduced by oxygen vacancies of MoO2. This result indicates that MoO2 nanosphere synthesized by microwave-assisted solvothermal method is a promising sensing material for H2S detection.

Nanosheet-Like Ho2O3 and Sr-Ho2O3 Catalysts for Oxidative Coupling of Methane

In this work, Ho2O3 nanosheets were synthesized by a hydrothermal method. A series of Sr-modified Ho2O3 nanosheets (Sr-Ho2O3-NS) with a Sr/Ho molar ratio between 0.02 and 0.06 were prepared via an impregnation method. These catalysts were characterized by several techniques such as XRD, N2 adsorption, SEM, TEM, XPS, O2-TPD (temperature-programmed desorption), and CO2-TPD, and they were studied with respect to their performances in the oxidative coupling of methane (OCM). In contrast to Ho2O3 nanoparticles, Ho2O3 nanosheets display greater CH4 conversion and C2-C3 selectivity, which could be related to the preferentially exposed (222) facet on the surface of the latter catalyst. The incorporation of small amounts of Sr into Ho2O3 nanosheets leads to a higher ratio of (O− + O2−)/O2− as well as an enhanced amount of chemisorbed oxygen species and moderate basic sites, which in turn improves the OCM performance. The optimal catalytic behavior is achievable on the 0.04Sr-Ho2O3-NS catalyst with a Sr/Ho molar ratio of 0.04, which gives a 24.0% conversion of CH4 with 56.7% selectivity to C2-C3 at 650 °C. The C2-C3 yield is well correlated with the amount of moderate basic sites present on the catalysts.

X-Ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy Depth Profiling of As-Grown and Annealed Titanium Nitride Thin Films

Titanium nitride thin films were grown on Si(001) and fused silica substrates by radio frequency reactive magnetron sputtering. Post-growth annealing of the films was performed at different temperatures from 300 °C to 700 °C in nitrogen ambient. Films annealed at temperatures above 300 °C exhibit higher surface roughness, smaller grain size and better crystallinity compared to the as-grown film. Bandgap of the films decreased with the increase in the annealing temperature. Hall effect measurements revealed that all the films exhibit n-type conductivity and had high carrier concentration, which also increased slightly with the increase in the annealing temperature. A detailed depth profile study of the chemical composition of the film was performed by x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy confirming the formation of Ti-N bond and revealing the presence of chemisorbed oxygen in the films. Annealing in nitrogen ambient results in increased nitrogen vacancies and non-stoichiometric TiN films.

Role of CO2 During Oxidative Dehydrogenation of Propane Over Bulk and Activated-Carbon Supported Cerium and Vanadium Based Catalysts

CeO2, V2O5 and CeVO4 were synthesised as bulk oxides, or deposited over activated carbon, characterized by XRD, HRTEM, CO2-TPO, C3H8-TPR, DRIFTS and Raman techniques and tested in propane oxidative dehydrogenation using CO2. Complete oxidation of propane to CO and CO2 is favoured by lattice oxygen of CeO2. The temperature programmed experiments show the ~ 4 nm AC supported CeO2 crystallites become more susceptible to reduction by propane, but less prone to re-oxidation with CO2 compared to bulk CeO2. Catalytic activity of CeVO4/AC catalysts requires a 1–2 nm amorphous CeVO4 layer. During reaction, the amorphous CeVO4 layer crystallises and several atomic layers of carbon cover the CeVO4 surface, resulting in deactivation. During reaction, V2O5 is irreversibly reduced to V2O3. The lattice oxygen in bulk V2O5 favours catalytic activity and propene selectivity. Bulk V2O3 promotes only propane cracking with no propene selectivity. In VOx/AC materials, vanadium carbide is the catalytically active phase. Propane dehydrogenation over VC proceeds via chemisorbed oxygen species originating from the dissociated CO2. Graphic Abstract