Pd decorated ZnO nanosheets for enhanced hydrogen sensing performance

With the exhaustion of fossil energy, hydrogen (H 2 ), as a kind of clean energy with extensive source and high calorific value, has attracted great attention. However, in the process of H 2 preparation, transportation and storage, safety accidents such as leakage and explosion often occur, which greatly hinders the development and utilization of H 2 . Therefore, fast and accurate detection of H 2 plays an important role in H 2 industry. Based on this, we have synthesized two-dimensional (2D) zinc oxide (ZnO) nanosheets by hydrothermal method, and further optimized its sensing performance through Pd modification. H 2 sensitivity test results show that Pd load can greatly enhance the sensing performance of 2D ZnO materials. At 160°C, the sensing response of Pd load ZnO sensitive materials (PZO) towards H 2 (100 ppm) is 17.6, which is much higher than the pure ZnO nanosheets (3.2). Additionly, the H 2 sensing performance of the prepared gas sensor did not change significantly during the 30-days test, showing excellent stability. The H 2 sensing mechanism of PZO sensitive materials is mainly attributed to the synergistic mechanism of Pd catalytic site and oxygen vacancy (O V ). Therefore, the synthesized PZO sensitive material provides an effective strategy for the preparation of high-performance H 2 sensors.