Nanostructured palladium modified graphitic carbon nitride – High performance room temperature hydrogen sensor

Graphitic carbon nitride has attracted huge interest due to its due to low cost and easy synthesis. We report for the first time graphitic carbon nitride composite as room temperature hydrogen sensing material. Nano structured palladium nanoparticle dispersed graphitic carbon nitride (Pd/g-C3N4) composite was investigated as room temperature resistive gas sensor. Graphitic carbon nitride (g-C3N4) was prepared by pyrolysis of melamine. Palladium nanoparticles were dispersed on g-C3N4 by polyol reduction method. Hydrogen sensing properties of Pd/g-C3N4 were studied within near flammability range from 1 to 4 vol%. The performance was evaluated with variation in temperature from 30 to 80 °C. For 4% H2 at room temperature, 99.8% sensitivity is achieved with response time of 88 s while for the same concentration of H2 at 80 °C, the sensor shows 97.4% sensitivity. The results show prospect of reliable sensing material.