Synthesis and characterization of CuO-SnO2 nanocomposite and its application as liquefied petroleum gas sensor

Present paper reports the synthesis of CuO-SnO2 nanocomposite via sol-gel route as a sensing material for a liquefied petroleum gas (LPG). X-ray diffraction analysis confirmed the formation of CuO-SnO2 nanocomposite. Crystallite size was found 5 nm. The optical band gap of the nanocomposite was found 4.1 eV. The thin/thick films were fabricated using spin coating and screen printing technology respectively and investigated with the exposition of LPG at room temperature (25 degrees C). Surface morphology of the thin film exhibits that it has a number of gas adsorption sites. The sensitivities of the thick and thin film sensors were found 4.1 and 42 respectively. The response and recovery times of the fabricated film sensor were 180 and 200 s respectively. Maximum sensor response of thin film sensor was found 4100. Better sensitivity and percentage sensor response, small response and recovery times, and good reproducibility and stability recognize the fabricated thin Film of CuO-SnO2 as a challenging material for the detection of LPG. (C) 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.