Controlling surface functional composition and improving the gas-sensing properties of metal oxide sensors by electron beam processing

Abstract

It has been established that the electron beam processing of the ZnO–SiO₂ and SnO2–SiO₂ thinfilm gas sensors synthesized using the sol-gel method at an electron energy of 900 keV and an absorbed dose of 50 to 200 kGy leads to a significant increase in their sensitivity towards acetone and isopropanol vapors. It is found that the observed effect, which is enhanced with an increase in the absorbed dose, is correlated to an increase in the concentration of the Brønsted acid sites which are formed under the influence of accelerated electrons and capable of reacting to the molecules of the detected substances.