Preparation of nano-structured Pt–YSZ composite and its application in oxygen potentiometric sensor

Nano-structured Platinum–Yttria Stabilized Zirconia (YSZ) composites for oxygen potentiometric sensors were directly prepared with carbon black and the precursors such as chloroplatinic acid, zirconyl nitrate and yttrium nitrate. The as-prepared Pt–YSZ composite consisted of cubic crystalline YSZ and Pt particles, and the particle sizes of Pt catalyst and YSZ electrolyte were about 25–35 and 5–10 nm, respectively. The Pt–YSZ composite electrodes exhibited excellent electrochemical performances when evaluated by EIS measurements. The introduction of the nano-structured Pt–YSZ composite into the oxygen potentiometric sensor can reduce sensorʹs operating temperature to be about 380 °C, and also can reduce sensorʹs response time to be about 5 s at 400 °C. The oxygen potentiometric sensors incorporating nano-structured Pt–YSZ composites exhibited longer lifetime than those employing pure Pt as the sensing electrodes.