Microwave assisted synthesis of hierarchical Pd/SnO2 nanostructures for CO gas sensor

In this paper, we present a facile one-step microwave assisted hydrothermal route for the synthesis of the unloaded and Pd-loaded SnO2 nanostructures. The Pd was grown in situ on the SnO2 nanostructure, constructing Pd/SnO2. A gas sensor based on the as-prepared Pd/SnO2 was fabricated and tested for response to carbon monoxide gas. The results indicated that the sensor using 3.0 wt% Pd-loaded SnO2 to 100 ppm carbon monoxide performed a superior sensing properties compared to 0 wt%, 1.5 wt%, and 4.5 wt% Pd-loaded samples at a relatively low temperature (100 °C). Such enhanced gas sensing performances could be attributed to both the contribution of Pd-loaded and the in situ method. In addition, the one-step in situ microwave assisted loading process provides a promising and versatile choice for the preparation of gas sensing materials.