Nd-doped SnO2: characterization and its gas sensing property

Nd-doped (2%, 5%, 10% in mass ratio) SnO2 powders were prepared via a facile hydrothermal procedure. The as-prepared samples were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) specific surface area analyzers. Results showed that the Nd-doped SnO2 samples had more uniform and smaller primary particles compared with the pure sample, the particle size of the doped SnO2 decreased gradually with the increase of Nd, and the specific surface area also increased with the increase of the doped Nd. When used as gas sensing materials, the 5% and 10% Nd-doped sample showed high sensitivity and selectivity to ethanol. Furthermore, the Nd-doped sample showed fast response and recovery time to ethanol gas. This could be attributed to their small diameter, large surface area and Nd element doping.