Synthesis,characterization and gas-sensing properties of Pd-doped SnO_2 nano particles

SnO2 nano particles with various Pd-doping concentrations were prepared using a template-free hydrothermal method.The effects of Pd doping on the crystal structure,morphology,microstructure,thermal stability and surface chemistry of these nano particles were characterized by transmission electron microscope,X-ray diffractometer and X-ray photoelectron spectroscope respectively.It was observed that Pd-doping had little effect on the grain sizes of the obtained SnO2 nano particles during the hydrothermal route.During thermal annealing,Pd-doping could restrain the growth of grain sizes below 500℃ while the grain growth was promoted when the temperature increased to above 700℃.XPS results revealed that Pd existed in three chemical states in the as-synthesized sample as Pd^0,Pd^2＋ and Pd^4＋,respectively.Pd^4＋ was the main state which was responsible for improving the gas-sensing property.The optimal Pd-doping concentration for better gas-sensing property and thermal stability was 2.0%-2.5% （mole fraction）.

Effect of annealing treatment on morphologies and gas sensing properties of ZnO nanorods

The high-temperature stabilization of ZnO nanorods synthesized by hydrothermal treatment was investigated. The structure and morphologies of ZnO nanorods were characterized by XRD and SEM, respectively. The thermal stability of ZnO nanorods was also detected by thermal gravity analyzing. Thermal annealing treatment results indicate that ZnO nanorods are fundamentally stable when annealing temperature is lower than 600 ℃. When annealing temperature is beyond 600℃, the diameters of ZnO nanorods obviously decrease and the aggravating tendency of nanorods between each other also increase. Annealing treatment can greatly influence the gas sensing properties of ZnO nanorods. Comparing with ZnO nanorods without annealing treatment, the gas sensing property of ZnO nanorods to H2 with concentration of 2.5×10-6 can increase from 2.22 to 3.56. ZnO nanorods annealed at 400 ℃ exhibit optimum gas sesing property to H2 gas.

Fabrication and gas sensing property of honeycomb-like ZnO

We report the structural characterization and proposed formation mechanism of honeycomb-like ZnO conglomerations fabricated by direct precipitation method. X-ray diffraction （XRD）, energy-disperse X-ray spectrometry （EDS）, scanning electron microscopy （SEM） showed that the as-prepared ZnO calcined at 700 ℃ were micron sphere particles with honeycomb-like structure. In the UV-vis absorbing spectrum, it was observed that there is a new additional absorption band at 260 nm, and it was speculated that the absorption may be caused by defects on the surface and interface of honeycomb-like ZnO. The as-products showed high sensitivity and short response time to sulfured hydrogen gas. These results demonstrate that honeycomb-like ZnO conglomerations are very promising materials for fabricating H2S gas sensors.

On the Radiative Properties of Ice Clouds:Light Scattering, Remote Sensing,and Radiation Parameterization

Presented is a review of the radiative properties of ice clouds from three perspectives： light scattering simulations, remote sensing applications, and broadband radiation parameterizations appropriate for numerical models. On the subject of light scattering simulations, several classical computational approaches are reviewed, including the conventional geometric-optics method and its improved forms, the finite-difference time domain technique, the pseudo-spectral time domain technique, the discrete dipole approximation method, and the T-matrix method, with specific applications to the computation of the singlescattering properties of individual ice crystals. The strengths and weaknesses associated with each approach are discussed.With reference to remote sensing, operational retrieval algorithms are reviewed for retrieving cloud optical depth and effective particle size based on solar or thermal infrared（IR） bands. To illustrate the performance of the current solar- and IR-based retrievals, two case studies are presented based on spaceborne observations. The need for a more realistic ice cloud optical model to obtain spectrally consistent retrievals is demonstrated. Furthermore, to complement ice cloud property studies based on passive radiometric measurements, the advantage of incorporating lidar and/or polarimetric measurements is discussed.The performance of ice cloud models based on the use of different ice habits to represent ice particles is illustrated by comparing model results with satellite observations. A summary is provided of a number of parameterization schemes for ice cloud radiative properties that were developed for application to broadband radiative transfer submodels within general circulation models（GCMs）. The availability of the single-scattering properties of complex ice habits has led to more accurate radiation parameterizations. In conclusion, the importance of using nonspherical ice particle models in GCM simulations for climate studies is proven.

Preparation of polythiophene/WO_3 organic-inorganic hybrids and their gas sensing properties for NO_2 detection at low temperature

Polythiophene/WO3（PTP/WO3）organic-inorganic hybrids were synthesized by an in situ chemical oxidative polymerization method,and char- acterized by X-ray diffraction（XRD）,transmission electron microscopy（TEM）and thermo-gravimetric analysis（TGA）.The Polythiophene/ WO3 hybrids have higher thermal stability than pure polythiophene,which is beneficial to potential application as chemical sensors.Gas sensing measurements demonstrate that the gas sensor based on the Polythiophene/WO3 hybrids has high response and good selectivity for de- tecting NO2 of ppm level at low temperature.Both the operating temperature and PTP contents have an influence on the response of PTP/WO3 hybrids to NO2.The 10 wt%PTP/WO3 hybrid showed the highest response at low operating temperature of 70-C.It is expected that the PTP/WO3 hybrids can be potentially used as gas sensor material for detecting the low concentration of NO2 at low temperature.

Synthesis，Proton Conductivity and High－Temperature Humidity Sensing Property of Zr（HPO_4）_2·H_2O and Its Aluminium－substituted Compositions

A series of aluminium-containing α-type hydrated zirconium hydrogen phosphates,Zr_(1-x)Alx (H_(1+x/2)PO_4 )_2 with x=0-0.06,were hydrothermally synthesized and characterizedby means of X-ray diffraction,differential thermal analysis and thermogravimetric analysis.The proton conductivity,1.2×10￣(-4) S·cm￣(-1)at 180℃ was found in Zr_(0.98)Al_(0.02)(H_(1.01)PO_4)_2·H_2O.Humidity-sensing measurements were carried out at 120℃ and 140℃ respectively.Even a limited substitution of Al for Zr can enhance both proton conductivity and humidity sensitivity.

Macrophysical properties of specific cloud types from radiosonde and surface active remote sensing measurements over the ARM Southern Great Plains site

Accurate observation of clouds is challenging because of the high variability and complexity of cloud types and occurrences.By using the long-term cloud data collected during the ARM program at the Southern Great Plains central facility during 2001-2010,the consistencies and differences in the macrophysical properties of clouds between radiosonde and ground-based active remote sensing are quantitatively evaluated according to six cloud types：low;mid-low（ML）;high-midlow;mid;high-mid（HM）;and high.A similar variability trend is exhibited by the radiosonde and surface observations for the cloud fractions of the six cloud types.However,the magnitudes of the differences between the two methods are different among the six cloud types,with the largest difference seen in the high clouds.The distribution of the cloud-base height of the ML,mid,and HM clouds agrees in both methods,whereas large differences are seen in the cloud-top height for the ML and high clouds.The cloud thickness variations generally agree between the two datasets for the six cloud types.

Effect of Sm on Gas-Sensing Properties of SnO_2with Different Oxygen Vacancy Concentrations

The SnO2-x. with different oxygen vacancy concentrations was modified by addling Sm. The modified SnO2-x was investigated by means of X-ray diffraction, X-ray photoelectron spectroscope, and scanning electron microscopy. Its gas-sensing properties to C2H6, C6H14, C2H5OH, CO, and H2 were studied too. The experiment results show that the gas-sensing properties of Sm/SnO2-x depend upon the amount of oxygen vacancies, therefore it is possible to improve gas-sensing properties of doped SnO2 by controlling its concentration of oxygen vacancy.

Synthesis of Tin Oxide Through Thermal Decomposition of Sn_2(NH_4)_2(C_2O_4)_3 and Its Gas Sensing Property

Nanocrystalline tin oxide samples were prepared by using Sn2 （NH4 ）2 （C2O4）3 as the precursor. The thermal decompositions were respectively conducted at 250,450 and 650 ℃. TG-DTA, XRD, TEM, FTIR were used to characterize the samples. The indirect heating sensors by using these materials as sensitive bodies were fabricated on an alumina tube with Au electrodes and platinum wires. Sensing properties of these sensors were investigated. It was found that the tin oxide sample obtained by thermal decomposition at 450 ℃ has a higher sensitivity to C2H5OH and a higher selectivity to hexane and ammonia than those obtained via the conventional precipitate method and the working temperatures needed were greatly decreased.

Gas-sensing Properties of Bismuth Iron Molybdate Thin Films

The thin film gas sensors of bismuth iron molybdate were prepared by ion beam sputtering technique. The prototype gas sensors studied have high sensitivity and selectivity to reducing gases, such as ethanol vapor, show a long term stability of response under most operating conditions and insensitivity to atmospheric humidity, and respond quickly comparing to traditional sintered gas sensors. The crystallographic structure and phase composition of these thin films were investigated with XRD, XPS and SEM techniques.

Synthesis,Proton Conductivity and Humidity Sensing Property ofγ-Type Zirconium Hydrogen Phosphate,Zr(HPO_4)_2·2H_2O

A γ - type of layered zirconium hydrogen phosphate, Zr(HPO 4) 2·2H 2O( γ ZrP), was synthesized under hydrothermal conditions and characterized by powder X ray diffraction and thermogravimetric analysis. The temperature dependence of the proton conductivity in γ ZrP was investigated in a temperature range of 23￣413 ℃ by ac impedance spectroscopy. The variation of the conductivity with water loss and phase transitions was observed. The best proton conductivity in γ ZrP is 6×10 -4 S·cm -1 at 60 ℃. The proton conductivities in the dehydrated sample are ￣10 -5 at 150 ℃ and ￣10 -4 S·cm -1 at 350 ℃, respectively. The conductivities as a function of humidity in the temperature range of 120￣200 ℃ were measured.

Structure and Oxygen Sensing Properties of TiO_2 Porous Semiconductor Thin Films

Semiconductor-type TiO2 oxygen sensing thin films were synthesized using tetrabutyl titanate （Ti （OBu）4） as precursor and diethanolamine （DEA） as complexing agent by the sol-get process. The porous and oxygen sensing TiO2 films were obtained by the addition of polyethylene glycol （PEG）. The micrographs of scanning electron microscope （SEM） show that the pores of the sample about 400-600 nm in size with PEG（2 000 g/mol） are larger than those about 300 nm in size with PEG（ 1 000 g/mol）, while the density of pores is lower. The results also indicate that increasing the content of PEG properly is beneficial to the formation of porous structure. With the increasing content of PEG from 0 g to 2.5 g, the oxygen sensitivity increases from 330 to more than 1 000 at 800 ℃, from 170 to more than 1 000 at 900℃, and the response time to O2 and H2 are about 1.5 s and less than 1s, respectively.

Ethanol sensing properties of Bi_(3.15)Nd_(0.85)Ti_3O_(12) films at low operating temperatures

Bi3.15Nd0.85Ti3O12 (BNdT) films were deposited on Pt/Ti/SiO2/Si(100) substrates by a metal organic decomposition (MOD)method, and annealed by a rapid thermal annealing process in oxygen atmosphere and in air, respectively. The crystalline structuresand morphologies of BNdT films were characterized by X-ray diffraction and field-emission scanning electron microscopy, and thegas sensing properties were measured by monitoring its resistance at different gas concentrations. The results indicate that the BNdTfilms annealed in air are of porous microstructure and rough surface, and the annealing atmosphere has great influence on gas sensingproperties. At an operating temperature of 100 °C, the BNdT films annealed in air are of high response value to 1×10?6 gaseousethanol, and the detecting limit is as low as 0.1×10?6. The corresponding response and recovery time is about 10 and 6 s, respectively.The results can offer useful guidelines for fabricating high performance ethanol sensors.

Optical and NH₃Gas Sensing Properties of Hole-Transport Layers Based on PEDOT: PSS Incorporated with Nano-TiO₂

Poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene):poly(styrenesulfonate) incorporated with nanocrystalline TiO2 powder (PEDOT:PSS+nc-TiO2) films were prepared by spin-coating technique. SEM surface morphology, UV-Vis spectra and NH3 gas sensing of were studied. Results showed that the PEDOT:PSS+nc-TiO2 film with a content of 9.0 wt% of TiO2 is most suitable for both the hole transport layer and the NH3 sensing. The responding time of the sensor made from this composite film reached a value as fast as 20 s. The rapid responsiveness to NH3 gas was attributed to the efficient movement of holes as the major charge carriers in PEDOT:PSS+nc-TiO2 composite films. Useful applications in organic electronic devices like light emitting diodes and gas thin film sensors can be envisaged.

Analysis of color distortion and optimum fusion for remote sensing images using the statistical property of wavelet decomposition

IHS （Intensity, Hue and Saturation） transform is one of the most commonly used tusion algonthm. But the matching error causes spectral distortion and degradation in processing of image fusion with IHS method. A study on IHS fusion indicates that the color distortion can＇t be avoided. Meanwhile, the statistical property of wavelet coefficient with wavelet decomposition reflects those significant features, such as edges, lines and regions. So, a united optimal fusion method, which uses the statistical property and IHS transform on pixel and feature levels, is proposed. That is, the high frequency of intensity component Ⅰ is fused on feature level with multi-resolution wavelet in IHS space. And the low frequency of intensity component Ⅰ is fused on pixel level with optimal weight coefficients. Spectral information and spatial resolution are two performance indexes of optimal weight coefficients. Experiment results with QuickBird data of Shanghai show that it is a practical and effective method.

X-Ray Radiation Sensing Properties of ZnS Thin Film:A Study on the Effect of Annealing

Chemically synthesized ZnS thin film is found to be a good x-ray radiation sensor. We report the effect of annealing on the x-ray radiation detection sensitivity of a ZnS thin film synthesized by a chemical bath deposition technique. The chemically synthesized ZnS films are annealed at 333, 363 and 393K for 1 h. Structural analyses show that the lattice defects in the films decrease with annealing. Further, the band gap is also found to decrease from 3.38 to 3.21 eV after annealing at 393K. Current-voltage characteristics of the films are studied under dark and x-ray irradiation conditions. Due to the decrease of lattice defects and band gap, the conductivity under dark conditions is found to increase from 2.06 × 10^-6 to 1.69 × 10^-5 S/em, while that under x-ray irradiation increases from 4.13 × 10^-5 to 5.28 ×10^-5 S/cm. On the other hand, the x-ray radiation detection sensitivity of the films is found to decrease with annealing. This decrease of detection sensitivity is attributed to the decrease of the band gap as well as some structural and surface morphological changes occurring after annealing.

Liquid Concentration Sensing Properties of Microfibers with a Nanoscale-Structured Film

A type of compact solution concentration sensor based on a microfiber with a nanoscale-structured film is proposed and demonstrated experimentally. Additional loss at different solution concentrations is calculated by means of the three-dimensional finite-difference time-domain （3D-FDTD） method. The microfiber is fabricated by using the flame-heated scanning technique. Nanoscale-structured film is coated on the microfiber surface, which is assembled as a sensing unit. The sensitivity of this kind of sensor increases with the decreasing diameters of the microfiber. When the diameter of the microfiber is 2 #m, a minimum concentration sensitivity of 1% （under 450s measuring time） is demonstrated in the experiment. Higher sensitivity can be attained when the solution concentration is higher. The sensing properties of this microfiber with the nanoscale-structured film may provide opportunities for new applications in optical sensing devices.

Preparation and strain sensing properties of carbon nanotube composite yarns

The mechanical and strain sensing properties of carbon nanotube composite yarns （CNTs/PDMS） with different weight percent of PDMS were studied. The CNT/PDMS composite yarn was prepared by infiltration method. Pictures of diameter of CNT composite yarns were obtained though polarized light microscope. Resistance change values of CNT composites under stretching were obtained though the single fiber strength tester and digital multimeter and related mechanical, electrical software. The changes of mechanical properties. electrical properties and sensing pertbrmance of pure and composite CNT yarns were discussed and analyzed. The results showed that the strength of CNT yarn declined after it was composited with PDMS polymer. In addition, the conductivity and sensing performance of CNT yarns improved significantly. The most suitable CNT composite yam occurs at PDMS mass fraction of 1% when strength and sensing properties were all considered.

Research on Properties optimization of humidity-sensitive material ZnCr_2O_4-V_2O_5-Li_2O-ZnO

Humidity-sensing properties of humidity-sensitive material ZnCr2O4-V2O5-Li2O-ZnO made from crystal phase ZnCr2O4 and glass phase LiZnVO4 of different mole ratios were tested over a long time, synthetic characteristics of different mole ratios are compared, it shows that the best humidity-sensing properties were obtained when mole ratios are 94:6 and 96:4, the cause that mole ratio affects humidity-sensing properties parameters is analyzed.

Sensing Property of Carbon Nanotube Yarn Embedded in Ethylene Vinyl Acetate (EVA) Elastomer

Carbon nanotube (CNT) has remarkable piezoresistive properties,which makes its extremely sensitive to the mechanical force. In this study,the CNT yarn with the strength of 90 MPa and the strain sensing gage factor of 1.75 was selected and embedded into the ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA) elastomer as a sensing material.By measuring the electric resistance changing under the stretching,bending,longitudinally and transversely compressing of the CNT embedded EVA, the resistance changing curves and their linear correlations were obtained and analyzed. The result shows that the gage factor under the tensile test is the highest( 2.51),which is higher than the original value of CNT yarn (1.75). The gage factors of the CNT yarn embedded into EVA elastomer under bending and longitudinal and transverse compression are 2.29,1.55 and 0.79,respectively.