Automated nebulizer sprayed tin doped titanium dioxide (SnxTi1-xO2) anatase nanofilms properties, gas sensing performance

Abstract Sn x Ti 1-x O 2 nanofilms deposited at 500 °C heated glass substrate by automated nebulizer spray pyrolysis method. Stabilized anatase phase of polycrystalline nature with decremented intensity were observed in XRD study, correspondingly precursor materials (Ti, Sn, O) were confirmed by XPS, EDS. The surface profilometer shows a coated films thickness and the surface morphology illustrates a various structure such as granular spherical shape, micro grain petal-like structure, a granular structure with wider petals (stripe likes) and void, crack less agglomerated grain particles were acquired with respect to Sn concentration. An optical study shows the maximum oscillating nature of transmittance is 66.8% (at = 524.4 nm) for Sn = 10.00% and the resultant transmittance values were enhanced and their sharp absorption edge shows blue shift by increase Sn concentration. Similarly, band gap values (E g  = 3.20 eV–3.56 eV) were increased due to Moss-Burstein shift. Notably, gas sensing performance of Sn x Ti 1-x O 2 shows the highest sensitivity behaviour to Sn = 5.00% (Y 0.05 Ti 0.95 O 2 ) for reducing gas of C 2 H 6 O at 150 °C with 300 ppm gas concentration. All coated films exhibit the better sensitivity for ethanol (C 2 H 6 O) gas against other gases (CH 4 O, C 3 H 8 O, NH 3 , and C 3 H 6 O).