Facile synthesis of perfect ZnSn(OH)₆ octahedral microcrystallines with controlled size and high sensing performance towards ethanol

Abstract

Uniform and monodisperse ZnSn(OH)₆ perfect octahedrons have been synthesized by a facile coprecipitation reaction process. The particle size of the as-prepared ZnSn(OH)₆ octahedral structure can be readily controlled by adjusting the reaction temperature (T), the side length of ZnSn(OH)₆ octahedrons tailored from 3 µm (40°C) to 4 µm (60°C) and 5 µm (80°C). The ethanol sensing properties of the ZnSn(OH)₆ octahedrons were carefully investigated. The gas sensing experimental data show that the sensor based on ZnSn(OH)₆ (40°C) show good selectivity, fast response/recovery time and the highest response (R_a/R_g = 23.8) to 200 ppm ethanol at relatively low optimum operating temperature (200°C) among sensors based on ZnSn(OH)₆ (60°C) and ZnSn(OH)₆ (80°C), which might result from different specific surface areas. The study demonstrated that perfect octahedral ZnSn(OH)₆ with controlled crystalline size and desirable sensing performance can be synthesized with a simple fabrication procedure, and the octahedral ZnSn(OH)₆ could be a highly promising material for high-performance sensors.

Keywords

ZnSn(OH) ₆ / octahedron / gas sensor / ethanol

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