Enhanced ethanol response of La₂O₃-loaded SnO₂ nanorods prepared by an improved solid state reaction

La₂O₃-loaded SnO₂ nanorods with rutile structure were successfully synthesized by an improved solid state reaction with the surfactants in the presence of NaCl-KCl. The indirect-heating sensor was prepared using the products as sensing-material to study the response of the La₂O₃-loaded SnO₂ nanorods. The results showed that the performances of the SnO₂ nanorods to ethanol was greatly improved after loading La₂O₃. The significant improvement could be attributed to the excellent catalytic properties of loaded La₂O₃ and the high surface area. (paper)