Hydrothermal synthesis of hollow ZnSnO3 microspheres and sensing properties toward butane

Hollow ZnSnO3 microspheres were successfully prepared by hydrothermal method at 160 °C for 12 h. The prepared material was characterized by field emission scanning electron microscope (FESEM), transmission electron microscope (TEM) and X-ray diffraction measurements (XRD). The average diameter of the hollow ZnSnO3 microspheres was in the range of 400–600 nm. Compared with solid ZnSnO3 microspheres structure, the hollow ZnSnO3 microspheres showed better response (S) to butane. To 500 ppm butane, the sensor response (S) of the hollow ZnSnO3 microspheres was 5.79 at the optimum operating temperature of 380 °C, and the response and recovery time were 0.3 s and 0.65 s, respectively. The sensitivities of sensors based on this material were linear with the concentration of butane in the range of 100–1000 ppm.