Modifying with rare earth elements has been proven to be an effective means of enhancing the gas-sensing properties of oxides. In this work, Gd-In 2 O 3 based sensor was developed, which showed high response to 100 ppm xylene gas ( \({R}_{a}/{R}_{g}\) = 17.8) fast response time (11 s) at 350 °C, this response value was 5.4 times higher compared to the unmodified In 2 O 3 sensor ( \({R}_{a}/{R}_{g}\) =3.3). The introduction of the rare earth element not only improves the electrical properties of the sensitive material to provide a more suitable resistance but also strengthens the gas adsorption ability and the catalytic effect on the surface of the sensitive material, leading to enhanced sensing performance.
In order to enhance the catalytic performance of the Gd-modified Co 3 O 4 catalyst (Gd 0.06 Co) for the N 2 O decomposition, alkali metal K was introduced as the promoter by impregnating the Gd 0.06 Co powder with an aqueous solution of KNO 3 (with K/Co ratios 0.01–0.05). With the doping of K, the catalytic activity over Gd 0.06 Co was significantly improved and the temperature of N 2 O complete decomposition was decreased from 350 °C to 300 °C. Combining the results of XPS and O 2 -TPD, the superior catalytic performance of the optimum catalyst K 0.025 Gd 0.06 Co was mainly owing to the synergistic effect of Gd and K, which weakened the Co–O bond and endowed the catalyst surface with much more amount of oxygen vacancies. Even under the coexist of the impurity gases, such as 5 vol% O 2 , 100 ppmv NO and 2 vol% H 2 O, the K 0.025 Gd 0.06 Co catalyst exhibited prominently better catalytic activity than Gd 0.06 Co and K 0.025 Co catalysts.