Synthesis of nano-SnO2/SBA-15 composite as a highly sensitive semiconductor oxide gas sensor

A simple method has been applied to synthesize nano-SnO2/SBA-15 composites by wet impregnation of SnCl2 using SBA-15 as the nanoporous sensor support. After mixing SBA-15 with SnO2, the mesoporous structure of SBA-15 could still be well maintained. The sensor made of the nano-SnO2/SBA-15 composite displays superior sensitivities, and the sensitivity to 1000 ppm of H-2 could be higher than 1400, which is almost similar to 40 times more sensitive than that of pure SnO2 sensor. This finding provides a cheap and effective way to apply nanoporous materials to remarkably enhance the sensitivity of semiconductor metal oxide gas sensors. (C) 2007 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.