Gas sensing capabilities of sol–gel dip-coated pure SnO2 thin films for CO and C3H8 detection.

Selvam, G.K.P., de la Luz Olvera Amador, M. & Álvarez, A.M.

Abstract
This paper presents a comprehensive investigation to increase the gas sensing capability of pure tin oxide (SnO2) film coatings while ensuring non-contamination. The SnO2 thin-film coatings deposited on glass substrates were processed by homogeneous precipitation and sol–gel dip coating methods. Various characterization techniques, including X-ray diffraction, ultraviolet–visible spectroscopy (UV–Vis), and scanning electron microscopy were used to analyze the structural, optical, and morphological properties of the coatings. The prepared SnO2 coatings were tested using separately two different gases, carbon monoxide (CO) and propane (C3H8), to assess their gas sensing capabilities. The results show a significant influence of the multilayer coating of SnO2 on the sensing performance. Remarkably, the SnO2 sample with three layers exhibited a high sensitivity. By enhancing the gas sensing capabilities of tin oxide films through the dip coating technique, this study contributes to the advancement of gas sensing technologies.
https://doi.org/10.1007/s10854-024-13288-8