Characterization and optical gas sensing properties of BaSnO3 synthesized by novel technique: flame spray pyrolysis

Barium stannate (BaSnO3) particles were synthesized using a one-step flame spray pyrolysis (FSP) method. The fabricated ceramic powders were investigated in terms of the structural, morphological, and optical properties by using X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), zeta particle size analyzer, UV-Visible spectroscopy (UV-Vis) and photoluminescence spectroscopy (PL). The XRD results showed the structure of BaSnO3 crystals has been obtained when the powders were exposed at high temperatures, specifically at 1200 degrees C. The synthesized particles in the submicron size in a range of 70-980 nm were produced. The optical bandgap value of the synthesized crystals was calculated using reflectance spectra with the Kubelka-Munk method and found as 3.14 eV. When the powders were excited at 375 nm, they exhibited emission bands in the visible and near-infrared region (NIR) of the electromagnetic spectrum. In this study, the intensity- and decay time-based gas sensing properties of nanoscale BaSnO3 embedded in ethyl cellulose (EC) thin films when exposed to the vapors of different solvents were also measured. The optical sensitivities (I-I-0/I-0) of the sensing materials for the NH3, acetone, and EtOH solvent vapors were calculated as 0.835, 0.672, and 0.521, respectively