Multilayer porous Pd-doped SnO2 thin film: Preparation and H2 sensing performance

Abstract Porous pure and Pd-doped SnO2 films are prepared using sol-gel synthesis with polystyrene (PS) microspheres as the template. Different characterizations are performed to analyze the microstructure and morphology of the films. The sensing performance of the films at various temperatures and hydrogen concentrations is investigated. Results show that high concentration of PS template significantly influences the continuity of films and the H2 sensing performance. The porous SnO2 film with 0.1 wt% PS microspheres exhibits the best performance. At 225 °C, the response magnitude of the porous 1 mol% Pd-doped SnO2 thin film to 1000 ppm H2 is 93.18, which is approximately 10.58 times of the pure sample.