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Abstract

Tin dioxide (SnO2) and tin dioxide: polyethylene glycol (SnO2: PEG) nano-composite thin films, at 10 and 20 wt % PEG, were fabricated by spin coating techniques from a mixed solution of ethanol and water. The structural, morphological, and optical properties of the prepared samples were examined to study the effect of PEG addition on SnO2 thin film properties. X-ray diffraction shows a polycrystalline structure for all samples, where the crystalline size reduced from 8.3 nm (for the pure sample) to 7.2 nm (for the 20% PEG sample). The addition of PEG with the precursors significantly affected the growth behaviour of SnO2 nanoparticles, where the nanoparticle diameter reduced and the connection between them was enhanced forming a continuous structure with pores that enhance gas sensitivity. The hydrogen (H2) gas sensitivity, for the prepared SnO2 and SnO2:PEG samples, increased by increasing the PEG content from 0 to 20% by about four times. The optimum sensitivity was at the working temperature of 100 °C. The gas sensitivity was exponentially dependent on H2 gas concentration across a concentration range of 100 to 4000 ppm.

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