Room-temperature optical detection of hydrogen gas using palladium nano-islands

Palladium thin films of different thicknesses have been processed by oxidation and subsequent reduction in hydrogen atmosphere. Hydrogen optical sensing properties of as-deposited (Pd) and processed (r-Pd) samples have been experimentally tested with a H2 concentration of 5% and 1%, discovering that the reduced films show improved performances in term of response/recovery time. As reveled by SEM images, the oxidation/reduction process modifies the surface appearance, which assumes a nano-islands structured morphology. The porosity of the processed films may explain the reduction of the response/recovery time, while the larger effective sensing surface in thinner samples justifies the responsivity performances.