Reduced graphene oxide decorated Pt activated SnO2 nanoparticles for enhancing methanol sensing performance

Methanol gas sensors with excellent performances are in great demand to monitor the industrial manufacture and many household products. We have synthesized Pt-activated SnO2 nanoparticles partly wrapped by reduced graphene oxide (RGO) for high performance methanol gas sensor application. The X-ray diffraction (XRD) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) results indicated that the platinum element is present in two types, including metal (Pt) and tetravalent metal oxide (PtO2) in the Pt-activated SnO2 clusters. The SnO2 nanoparticles with an average size of about 10 nm are in form of cluster type and there are abundant random wormhole-like pores throughout each cluster. The gas responses of the pristine SnO2 gas sensor, Pt-activated SnO2 gas sensor and the RGO-assisted sensors toward 40 ppm methanol at the relatively low operating temperatures (110 degrees C) were 7.8, 38.5 and 60.1, respectively. And the sensor exhibited shorter response time with only 6 s. The excellent gas-sensing properties are mainly attributed to the improved electronic interaction and the reduced potential barrier between RGO and Pt/SnO2. (C) 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.