Dr. U. Shinde, Somnath Handge, Dr. D. K Halwar,
Volume 21, Issue 0 (IN PRESS 2024)
Abstract
This study investigates the effect of SnO2 as an additive on the structural, electrical, optical, and gas sensing properties of LaCrO3 nanoparticles. SnO2 is added into the LaCrO3 by weight percentage (1 wt. %, 3 wt. %, 5 wt. %, 7 wt. %, 9 wt. % and 11 wt. %) employing screen printing method. Initially, the nanoparticles of SnO2 and LaCrO3 separately synthesis by sol-gel method and then used for the development of thick films. LaCrO3 is used as host material while SnO2 is additive material. The structural characterizations like FESEM, EDX and XRD were carried out to investigate the morphology, elements and crystallite size respectively. The inclusion of SnO2 modifies the crystalline structure and surface morphology of LaCrO3, as revealed by structural analyses. The optical characterizations like FTIR and UV were used for the study of impact of SnO2 additive on functional group and band gap of the host material respectively. Optical studies indicate a modification in the bandgap, affecting light absorption properties and indicating changes in electronic transitions. The electrical characterizations were conducted by using half bridge method. Electrical resistivity measurements show enhanced performance, likely due to variation in charge carrier mobility induced by the SnO2 additive. Among other selected wt. % SnO2 additives, 9 wt. % SnO2 added LaCrO3 thick films shows maximum sensitivity to CH4 gas at 120oC operating temperature. The gas sensing characteristics demonstrate enhanced sensitivity, selectivity, and response time to target gases, suggesting that SnO2 doping improves the sensing capabilities of LaCrO3 nanoparticles, making them more efficient as a gas sensor. Obtained findings suggest that, SnO2 as an additive enhances the multifunctional properties of LaCrO3 nanoparticles, making them promising candidates for advanced gas sensing applications.
