Enhanced sensitivity and reliability of a self-cleaning room temperature gas sensor

A room temperature SnO2 gas sensor with different sensitivity to CO and NH3 gases was fabricated on a silicon substrate with nanostructures formed by femtosecond laser irradiation in water. After deposition of a silane monolayer, the nanostructured sensor surface showed super hydrophobic wetting behavior and exhibited self-cleaning properties like lotus leaves. The reliability of the self-cleaning of the sensor was investigated under thousands of cleaning cycles and characterized by measurement of the sensitivity change during this cleaning process.