The Role of Different Lanthanoid and Transition Metals in Perovskite Gas Sensors

Beginning with LaFeO3, a prominent perovskite-structured material used in the field of gas sensing, various perovskite-structured materials were prepared using sol-gel technique. The composition was systematically modified by replacing La with Sm and Gd, or Fe with Cr, Mn, Co, and Ni. The materials synthesized are comparable in grain size and morphology. DC resistance measurements performed on gas sensors reveal Fe-based compounds solely demonstrated effective sensing performance of acetylene and ethylene. Operando diffuse reflectance infrared Fourier transform spectroscopy shows the sensing mechanism is dependent on semiconductor properties of such materials, and that surface reactivity plays a key role in the sensing response. The replacement of A-site with various lanthanoid elements conserves surface reactivity of AFeO(3), while changes at the B-site of LaBO3 lead to alterations in sensor surface chemistry.