Reduced response times using adsorption kinetics and pulsed-mode operation for the detection of oxides of nitrogen with nanocrystalline SnO2 sensors

The work presented in this paper investigates the use of pulsed temperature operation of nanocrystalline SnO₂ sensors for detecting oxides of nitrogen. Pulsed-mode operation was employed to expand the detection range of these sensors while maintaining high sensitivity at low concentrations. In an attempt to reduce the response times of these devices, adsorption kinetics were applied to the response data. Gas concentrations as low as 10 ppb could be rapidly determined without waiting for a steady-state response to be achieved. The sensors also showed a strong response to ppb levels of NO even at low pulsing temperatures.