Preparation of Ce-doped SnO2 cuboids with enhanced 2-butanone sensing performance

Abstract Cuboid-shaped SnO2 and Ce-doped SnO2 materials with different Ce amounts (0.5 at%, 1 at%, 3 at%, and 5 at%) were successfully prepared via an environmentally friendly one-step hydrothermal method. The phase structures, morphological properties, and elemental compositions of the as-synthesized materials were characterized by several material characterization methods. Uniform and independent cuboid-shaped SnO2 and Ce-doped SnO2 hierarchical architectures consisted of stacked nanoparticles were formed, and Ce doping caused re-orientation of crystalline SnO2. The gas-sensing performances of these materials were systematically evaluated. Results showed that Ce doping greatly improved the sensing performance of the SnO2-based gas sensors. The SnO2 sample doped with 1 at% Ce exhibited a high response to 2-butanone at the operating temperature of 175 °C. The response value of this sample was approximately 23.9 to 20 ppm 2-butanone, which was about 2.9 times higher than that of pure SnO2. The sensor based on 1 at% Ce/SnO2 also showed excellent selectivity and good repeatability to 2-butanone at 175 °C.