Mc. Carotta et al., Nanostructured pure and Nb-doped TiO2 as thick film gas sensors for environmental monitoring, SENS ACTU-B, 58(1-3), 1999, pp. 310-317
Thick films of nanostructured TiO2 and Niobium-doped TiO2 have been fabrica
ted by screen-printing technology starting from pure Titania and Niobium-do
ped Titania powders; the powders were prepared by laser pyrolysis method wh
ich provides nanosized particles. The laser powders are crystalline with an
atase structure and an average specific surface area of approximately 100 m
(2) g(-1); their grain size ranges from 10 up to 25 nm, the particles are s
pherical monocristalline and without internal porosity. In this work we evi
dentiated that TiO2-based thick film sensors exhibit a suitable sensitivity
to atmospheric environmental monitoring provided that the microstructural
properties of the materials are suitably correlated to the required electri
cal features. Moreover nanostructured particles were obtained at high firin
g temperature by adding a proper metal ions to inhibit the grain sintering.
Finally, prototype sensors based on pure titania sensing film have been pr
epared and tested in field for environmental monitoring application. (C) 19
99 Elsevier Science S.A. AU rights reserved.