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Researchers at the Faculty of Applied Sciences of the University of West Bohemia in Pilsen (FAV UWB) have succeed with an article Hydrogen gas sensing properties of WO3 sputter-deposited thin films enhanced by on-top deposited CuO nanoclusters in the international Journal of Hydrogen Energy. They were able to successfully combine tungsten oxide thin films with copper oxide nanoparticles and use them as a hydrogen sensor.  The FAV experts' paper on the sensor preparation received the highest possible rating from the Research, Development and Innovation Council.

Hydrogen technology has experienced an unprecedented boom in the last twenty years. Researchers around the world are improving the materials used to produce, store, transport and ultimately convert hydrogen into electricity. Functional materials have been around for decades, with the hydrogen cell being used on the Apollo spacecraft, for example, but the demand for new solutions continues.

The materials that work best often contain precious metals that are very expensive or hard to find. "If we all wanted to get a hydrogen car with current technology, it wouldn't be possible. There simply isn't enough platinum on Earth," explained the paper's lead author, Stanislav Haviar of the Department of Physics at FAV ZČU. "We are developing materials for hydrogen detection (for example, sensors to monitor hydrogen leaks), which is important for the safe operation of all the sub-steps of the hydrogen economy. In this work, we have been able to use 'ordinary' copper oxide for hydrogen detection. Commonly used is rare palladium, which is incomparably more expensive. However, the copper oxide must be in the form of nanoparticles of approximately ten nanometres in size. We have prepared the particles in our unique facility - a magnetron aggregation source," he added.

Although this is basic research, the scientists' findings promise more affordable hydrogen detection options in the future.

Both reviewers of the award-winning work agreed that the result was significant, original and provided new insights into the field of metal oxide-based sensors. The approaches used to prepare the material are considered innovative and contribute to the advancement of knowledge in the field. Colleagues from Charles University also contributed to the topic of the Pilsen scientists with their analyses. In recent years, the department has followed up on the award-winning pilot publication with a series of papers where the topic of combining nanoparticles and thin films for gas detection has been successfully developed further.

The other authors of the article are, besides RNDr. Stanislav Haviar, Ph.D.:

doc. Ing. Jiří Čapek, Ph.D.
D., MSc. Nirmal Kumar, Ph.D.
prof. Ing. Petr Zeman, Ph.D.
Ing. Šárka Batková, Ph.D.
Ing. Markéta Fialová