The surface scattering-based detection of hydrogen in air using a platinum nanowire.

The performance of a single platinum (Pt) nanowire for detecting H(2) in air is reported. A Pt nanowire shows no resistance change upon exposure to H(2) in N(2), but H(2) exposure in air causes a reversible resistance decrease for H(2) concentrations above 10 ppm. The amplitude of the resistance change induced by H(2) exposure and the time rate of change of the nanowire resistance both increased with increasing temperature from 298 to 550 K. This resistance decrease of the Pt nanowire in the presence of H(2) results from reduced electron diffuse scattering at hydrogen-covered Pt surfaces as compared with oxygen-covered platinum surfaces, we hypothesize. The properties for the detection of H(2) in air of single Pt and Pd nanowires of similar size are compared in this study. Pt nanowires have a limit-of-detection for H(2) (LOD(H(2))) of 10 ppm; 3 orders of magnitude lower than for Pd nanowires of the same size, as well as a response time that is 1/100th of Pd for [H(2)] ≈ 1%.