Electrohydrodynamic-Jet-Printed SnO₂-TiO₂-Composite-Based Microelectromechanical Systems Sensor with Enhanced Ethanol Detection

Abstract

Ethanol sensors have found extensive applications across various industries, including the chemical, environmental, transportation, and healthcare sectors. With increasing demands for enhanced performance and reduced energy consumption, there is a growing need for developing new ethanol sensors. Micro-electromechanical system (MEMS) devices offer promising prospects in gas sensor applications due to their compact size, low power requirements, and seamless integration capabilities. In this study, SnO2-TiO2 nanocomposites with varying molar ratios of SnO2 and TiO2 were synthesized via ball milling and then printed on MEMS chips for ethanol sensing using electrohydrodynamic (EHD) printing. The study indicates that the two metal oxides dispersed evenly, resulting in a well-formed gas-sensitive film. The SnO2-TiO2 composite exhibits the best performance at a molar ratio of 1:1, with a response value of 25.6 to 50 ppm ethanol at 288 °C. This value is 7.2 times and 1.8 times higher than that of single SnO2 and TiO2 gas sensors, respectively. The enhanced gas sensitivity can be attributed to the increased surface reactive oxygen species and optimized material resistance resulting from the chemical and electronic effects of the composite.

Keywords

• gas sensor
• ethanol
• SnO₂
• TiO₂
• micro-electromechanical system