Effective hydrogen gas nanosensor based on bead-like nanowires of platinum-decorated tin oxide

Development of low-cost and effective gas nanosensors for early detection and warning of hydrogen leakage is of crucial importance to prevent disastrous hydrogen explosion. Herein, we introduce the synthesis of Pt-decorated bead-like tin oxide nanowires for the effective detection of hydrogen, in which the Sn and Pt were sputter deposited in sequence over the porous single-wall carbon nanotubes film templates, followed by the oxidation process. The gas-sensing properties of undecorated and Pt-decorated nanosensors to H-2, NH3, and NOx are investigated to determine the effect of the Pt decoration on sensor performance. Results show that the Pt decoration enhances the responsivity to the reducing gases (H-2 and NH3) and decreases to the oxidizing gas (NOx). The response to hydrogen of the Pt-decorated nanosensor is approximately 5.7 times higher than that of its undecorated counterpart and is thus effective for the detection of hydrogen concentrations at the lower explosive limit with a fast response time of less than a minute. (C) 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.