Preparation of flower-like hierarchical structure SnO2/g-C3N4 and its ethanol gas-sensitive properties

Abstract

The flower-like hierarchical structured SnO₂/g-C₃N₄ nanocomposites were successfully prepared by one-step hydrothermal method with high-temperature calcination. The structure and morphology of the synthesized samples were characterized by X-ray powder diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and N₂ adsorption-desorption. The gas-sensitive performance of the pure SnO₂ and SnO₂/g-C₃N₄ sensors were investigated and compared towards ethanol gas. The results showed that the response of the SnO₂/g-C₃N₄ composites to 100 ppm ethanol gas at 200 °C was 18.88, which was 2.09 times that of pure SnO₂, with response and recovery time of 2 s and 13 s. In addition, the gas sensor has excellent selectivity for ethanol gas, good repeatability, and long-term stability. These gas-sensitive properties of the flower-like graded structure SnO₂/g-C₃N₄ to ethanol gas are attributed to the materials which have unique graded structure and n-n heterojunction.

KEY WORDS: Hierarchical structure, SnO₂/g-C₃N₄, Gas sensing property

Bull. Chem. Soc. Ethiop. 2025, 39(1), 141-152.                                                

DOI: https://dx.doi.org/10.4314/bcse.v39i1.12