PdO-modified ZnSnO3 hollow rounded cubes for high-performance TEA gas sensors at low temperature

Given human health and environmental safety issues, it is particularly imperative to detect triethylamine (TEA) rapidly and effectively at low temperatures. In this work, ZnSnO3 hollow rounded cubes (HZTO) with different PdO contents were prepared by liquid phase synthesis methods. The characterization results show that the side length of the hollow-rounded cubes is 500 – 700 nm, and the thickness is about 50 nm. Synthetic materials were applied to TEA gas sensors, and the sensing characteristics of the sensors were evaluated. The gas sensing results indicate that the modification of PdO can adjust the optimal operating temperature and the response of the gas sensor. The response value of the sensor with the best gas sensing performance can be as high as 532 to 100 ppm TEA at 175 °C, which is 17 times that of the unmodified material, and the working temperature is reduced by 125 °C. In addition, the sensor has good performance in selectivity, response time (1 s), low detection limit (500 ppb), and long-term stability. The improved TEA gas sensing performance is attributed to the structural characteristics of the hollow rounded cube of the material, p-n heterojunction, and the catalytic effect of PdO.