The catalytic effect of SmInO3, on the conduction and gas-sensing propertie
s of CdIn2O4 was investigated. The results demonstrated that SmInO3 increas
es the electrical impedance and improves the sensitivity and selectivity of
CdIn2O4 materials to ethanol gas though SmInO3, based sensors exhibit no s
ensitivity to reducing gases. The XPS analysis shows that the increase in s
ensitivity is not related to the increase in the amount of adsorbed oxygen
O-(ad)(-) on the material surface. We attribute the sensitivity improvement
to the easy adsorption of reducing gas on the surface of SmInO3 and CdIn2O
4 composite and the interfaces between the CdIn2O4 grains and the SmInO3 gr
ains. The sensors based on CdIn2O4 and SmInO3, (molar ratio 3:2) have a hig
h sensitivity and selectivity to ethanol gas and are promising for practica
l use. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science S.A. All rights reserved.