Effects of WO3 electrode microstructure on NO2-sensing properties for a potentiometric sensor

Planar potentiometric NO2 sensors based on 8YSZ (8 mol% Y2O3-doped ZrO2) were prepared with WO3 sensing electrode material. The various electrode microstructures prepared by different sintering temperatures were characterized by field emission scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and the microstructure influences on the sensors' performances were investigated. The sensor sintered at 800°C, with the most reaction sites, moderate adsorption sites and appropriate electrode thickness, exhibits the highest NO2 voltage response. While the sensor sintered at 750°C exhibits the lowest NO2 sensitivity because of the strongest gas-phase catalytic consumption in the WO3 sensing electrode. Based on the results of SEM characterization and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy tests, the difference in NO2-sensing performance was attributed to different amounts of electrochemical reaction sites at three-phase boundary, adsorption sites and different degrees of gas-phase catalysis.