The nanocomposite oxide (0.2TiO(2)-0.8SnO(2)) doped with Cd2+ powder have been prepared and characterized by XRD and their gas-sensing sensitivity were characterized using gas sensing measurement Experimental results show that bicomponent nano anatase TiO2 and rutile SnO2 particulate thick film doped with Cd2+ behaves with good sensitivity to formaldehyde gas of 200 ppm in the air, and the optimum sensing temperature was reduced from 360 degrees C to 320 degrees C compared with the undoped Cd2+ thick film. The gas sensing thick films doped with Cd2+ also show good selectivity to formaldehyde among benzene, toluene, xylene and ammonia as disturbed gas and could be effectively used as an indoor formaldehyde sensor. (C) 2009 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.