Operando investigation of the gas sensing mechanism of SnO2 materials by modulation excitiation HERFD-XAS at the Sn L1 edge

Tin dioxide is the benchmark for modern gas sensing materials. Despite its significance, the fundamental mechanisms remains under discussion. The proposed investigation will study synthesisstructure-function-relationships of differently prepared gas sensing materials by operando modulation excitation X-ray absorption spectroscopy the Sn L1 edge. This approach ensures to detect even minimal changes of the active Sn sites at the surface. By carefully selecting a representative set of samples the role of intrinsic oxygen vacancies, foreign dopants and added loadings will be studied to provide fundamental insights in the gas sensing mechanism and how it is changed by these factors.