PdO-modified α-Fe2O3 nanoparticles with enhanced gas performance for dimethyl disulfide

•The materials were synthesized by simple hydrothermal and impregnation-calcination method.•The sensor based on PdO-α-Fe2O3 showed excellent sensing performance for dimethyl disulfide (DMDS).•The sensor had excellent reproducibility and good linearity (5–25 ppm) in DMDS detection.