Synthesis and high sensing properties of a single Pd-doped SnO2 nanoribbon

Monocrystal SnO2 and Pd-SnO2 nanoribbons have been successfully synthesized by thermal evaporation, and novel ethanol sensors based on a single Pd-SnO2 nanoribbon and a single SnO2 nanoribbon were fabricated. The sensing properties of SnO2 nanoribbon (SnO2 NB) and Pd-doped SnO2 nanoribbon (Pd-SnO2 NB) sensors were investigated. The results indicated that the SnO2 NB showed a high sensitivity to ethanol and the Pd-SnO2 NB has a much higher sensitivity of 4.3 at 1,000 ppm of ethanol at 230°C, which is the highest sensitivity for a SnO2-based NB. Pd-SnO2 NB can detect ethanol in a wide range of concentration (1 ~ 1,000 ppm) with a relatively quick response (recovery) time of 8 s (9 s) at a temperature from 100°C to 300°C. In the meantime, the sensing capabilities of the Pd-SnO2 NB under 1 ppm of ethanol at 230°C will help to promote the sensitivity of a single nanoribbon sensor. Excellent performances of such a sensor make it a promising candidate for a device design toward ever-shrinking dimensions because a single nanoribbon device is easily integrated in the electronic devices.