Pt-TiO2/MWCNTs Hybrid Composites for Monitoring Low Hydrogen Concentrations in Air

Hydrogen is a valuable fuel for the next energy scenario. Unfortunately, hydrogen is highly flammable at concentrations higher than 4% in air. This aspect makes the monitoring of H2 leaks an essential issue for safety reasons, especially in the transportation field. In this paper, nanocomposites bas...

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Published inSensors (Basel, Switzerland) Vol. 12; no. 9; pp. 12361 - 12373
Main Authors Trocino, Stefano, Donato, Andrea, Latino, Mariangela, Donato, Nicola, Leonardi, Salvatore Gianluca, Neri, Giovanni
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published Basel MDPI AG 01.09.2012
Molecular Diversity Preservation International (MDPI)
Subjects
Carbon
Composite materials
Gases
hybrid nanocomposites
Hydrogen
hydrogen sensor
Metal oxides
MWCNTs
Nanocomposites
Sensors
Temperature
TiO2
Italy
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Summary:Hydrogen is a valuable fuel for the next energy scenario. Unfortunately, hydrogen is highly flammable at concentrations higher than 4% in air. This aspect makes the monitoring of H2 leaks an essential issue for safety reasons, especially in the transportation field. In this paper, nanocomposites based on Pt-doped TiO2/multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) have been introduced as sensitive materials for H2 at low temperatures. Pt-TiO2/MWNTs nanocomposites with different composition have been prepared by a simple wet chemical procedure and their morphological, microstructural and electrical properties were investigated. Resistive thick-film devices have been fabricated printing the hybrid nanocomposites on alumina substrates provided with Pt interdigitated electrodes. Electrical tests in air have shown that embedding MWCNTs in the TiO2 matrix modify markedly the electrical conductivity, providing a means to decrease the resistance of the sensing layer. Pt acts as a catalytic additive. Pt-TiO2/MWNTs-based sensors were found to be sensitive to hydrogen at concentrations between 0.5 and 3% in air, satisfying the requisites for practical applications in hydrogen leak detection devices.
ISSN:1424-8220
1424-8220
DOI:10.3390/s120912361