Influences of Impurity Gases in Air on Room-Temperature Hydrogen-Sensitive Pt-SnO2 Composite Nanoceramics: A Case Study of H2S

The slight but cumulative influence of impurity gases in air poses a great threat to the long-term stability of room-temperature gas sensors. Room-temperature hydrogen-sensitive Pt-SnO2 composite nanoceramics of 5 wt% Pt were prepared through pressing and sintering. The response of a sample was over 10,000 after being exposed to 500 ppm H2S-20% O-2-N-2 at room temperature, and the room-temperature hydrogen sensing capacity was seriously degraded even for samples that had aged dozens of days since H2S exposure. Mild heat treatments such as 160 degrees C for 10 min were found able to fully activate those H2S-exposed samples. As the peak of S 2p electron was clearly detected in H2S-exposed samples, it was proposed that for room-temperature hydrogen-sensitive Pt-SnO2 composite nanoceramics, H2S exposure induced degradation results from the poisoning of Pt by H2S deposited on it, which can be removed through a mild heat treatment. Periodic mild heat treatment should be a convenient and effective measure for room-temperature metal oxide gas sensors to achieve long-term stability through preventing the accumulation of impurity gases in air deposited on them.