Fast response hydrogen sensors based on anodic aluminum oxide with pore-widening treatment

Fast response hydrogen sensors operating at room temperature based on nanoporous palladium (Pd) films supported by treated anodic aluminum oxide (AAO) template have been demonstrated. It was found that the nanoporous Pd film had a quicker and reversible response by a 30-min pore-widening treatment of the AAO template, due to its faster absorption and desorption of hydrogen. We obtained a sensor response time as short as 14 s at 1.4% hydrogen concentration with the 30-min pore-widening treatment of AAO template. The sensor exhibited very good performance at hydrogen concentrations from 0.1% to 2%.