Hydrogen sensing characteristics of an electrodeposited WO3 thin film gasochromic sensor activated by Pt catalyst

Abstract The hydrogen gas sensing performance of platinum (Pt) catalyst activated tungsten trioxide (WO3) thin films were investigated in the present study. The WO3 thin films exhibited a gasochromic effect; i.e., a reversible change in color from transparent when in air to blue when in hydrogen (H2). All processes proceeded rapidly at room temperature. The films were prepared by the electrodeposition method under ambient conditions. A layer of Pt was then sputtered onto the surface of WO3 film. The cycling of the coloration was obtained from UV–Vis spectra. The Pt catalyst dissociated H2 into H atoms, which then diffused into the WO3 thin film, which transformed from WO3 to HxW1−xVIWxVO3 and changed the color of the WO3 thin film. Therefore, we could detect the existence of H2 by the coloration of the WO3 thin film. Sensor properties of WO3/Pt films were investigated at room temperature in H2–N2 gas mixtures containing 0–50 mol% of H2. The results show that the transmittance change (ΔT) of the electrodeposited WO3 hydrogen sensor was ∼ 2% when the concentration of H2 was 5 mol%, and ∼ 20% when the concentration of H2 was 50 mol%. Coloration and bleaching had good response and recovery times in the range of 5–60 s, respectively.