Developing nanostructured, cadmium doped zinc oxide methanol sensor

Cadmium doped zinc oxide nanoparticles have been synthesized by chemical combustion of acetates of metals, nitric acid and di/triethanolamine. Thick film screen-printed sensors have been fabricated using the nano-powders. The sensor exhibits fastest response time for detection of methanol in comparison to reported metal oxide alcohol sensors when doped with 2 atomic percent Cadmium at 3000C. The Doped ZnO phases were characterized by XRD, FESEM and EDS. It was found to exist as a hexagonal system in a primitive lattice with average crystallite size of around 25 nm, bandgap of 2.7 eV and grain size less than 100 nm. The sensors were found to be selectively sensitive to 20-300ppm of methanol vapours with a response and recovery times of 4- 9 seconds and 5-10 seconds respectively.