Atomically Dispersed Pt on Three-Dimensional Ordered Macroporous SnO2 for Highly Sensitive and Highly Selective Detection of Triethylamine at a Low Working Temperature

Triethylamine (TEA) is a widely used volatile organic chemical, which is harmful and can cause headache, dizziness, and respiratory discomfort. Developing an efficient sensor to detect trace amounts of TEA is significant for industrial and healthcare monitoring. In this work, SnO2 with a three-dimensional ordered macroporous structure (3DOM) was prepared through a polymethylmethacrylate sphere template route. The TEA sensing performance of the 3DOM SnO2 was enhanced through Pt loading. Aberration-corrected high-angle annular dark-field scanning transmission electron microscopy images and X-ray absorption fine-structure analysis indicate that Pt on the 3DOM 0.20% Pt/SnO2 surface mainly exists in the state of atomic dispersion, which results in more active sites, higher Hall mobility and active oxygen contents, and lower response energy barriers. The 0.20% Pt/SnO2 sensor has a low operating temperature of 80 degrees C and a low limit of detection (0.32 ppb). Because of the uniform adsorption of TEA on the atomically dispersed Pt, the 3DOM Pt/SnO2 sensor exhibits high selectivity.

Automated summary

In this study, SnO2 with a three-dimensional ordered macroporous structure (3DOM) was prepared and enhanced for TEA sensing through Pt loading. It was found that Pt existed mainly in the state of atomic dispersion on the material surface, providing more active sites, lower response energy barriers, and improved sensing performance. The Pt/SnO2 sensor exhibited low operating temperature and low detection limit, and demonstrated high selectivity for TEA.