Synthesis And Characterization Of Tin Oxide Nanopowder And Its Application To Sensing Different Pathogens

In this paper, we discuss the processing, fabrication, and characterization of tin oxide (SnO2)-based sensors for the detection of different pathogens. The sensing properties of SnO2 coatings sintered at three different temperatures (600, 700, and 800 degrees C) were demonstrated by impedance microbiology. Sensors for the detection of Candida albicans and Pseudomonas aeruginosa were manufactured in the form of an interdigitated capacitor (IDC) structure. Electrochemical analysis revealed a change in impedance and a shift in self-resonant frequency (SRF) when the sensor was exposed to bacteria or yeast/fungi media. Structural and morphological characterizations of the nanostructured sensing films were carried out by various analytical techniques including X-ray diffraction, Raman spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and scanning electron microscopy. The obtained results are promising for the fabrication of robust, cost-effective, and nontoxic SnO2-based sensors for detecting various pathogens.