Tin Oxide Nanowires Decorated with Ag Nanoparticles for Visible Light-Enhanced Hydrogen Sensing at Room Temperature: Bridging Conductometric Gas Sensing and Plasmon-Driven Catalysis

Year: 2018

Authors: Cattabiani N., Baratto C., Zappa D., Comini E., Donarelli M., Ferroni M., Ponzoni A., Faglia G.

Autors Affiliation: SENSOR Lab, Department of Information Engineering, University of Brescia, Via Branze 38, Brescia, 25123, Italy; SENSOR Lab, CNR-INO, Via Branze 45, Brescia, 25123, Italy

Abstract: We demonstrate that conductometric gas sensing at room temperature with SnO2 nanowires (NWs) is enhanced by visible and supraband gap UV irradiation when and only when the metal oxide NWs are decorated with Ag nanoparticles (NPs) (diameter < 20 nm); no enhancement is observed for the bare SnO2 case. We combine the spectroscopic techniques with conductometric gas sensing to study the wavelength dependency of the sensors' response, showing a strict correlation between the Ag-loaded SnO2 optical absorption and its gas response as a function of irradiation wavelength. Our results lead to the hypothesis that the enhanced gas response under UV vis light is the effect of plasmonic hot electrons populating the Ag NPs surface. Finally, we discuss the chemiresistive properties of Ag-loaded SnO2 sensor in parallel with the theory of plasmon-driven catalysis, to propose an interpretative framework that is coherent with the established paradigma of these two separated fields of study. Journal/Review: JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL CHEMISTRY C

Volume: 122 (9)      Pages from: 5026  to: 5031

More Information: 9085043. – The research leading to these results was funded by the NATO Science for Peace and Security Programme under grant no. 9085043. We also acknowledge Prof. V. Golovanov for the fruitful discussion.
KeyWords: electronic interaction; SNO2 nanowires; sensors; oxidation; additives
DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpcc.7b09807

Citations: 24
data from “WEB OF SCIENCE” (of Thomson Reuters) are update at: 2024-03-24
References taken from IsiWeb of Knowledge: (subscribers only)
Connecting to view paper tab on IsiWeb: Click here
Connecting to view citations from IsiWeb: Click here