Published online by Cambridge University Press: 16 February 2011
SnO2, Ru/SnO2 and Pt/SnO2 were prepared by sol-gel condensation method. Ru/SnO2 was also obtained by supporting the metal on SnO2 xerogel. The reactivity of these materials towards CO and air, studied by Electron Paramagnetic Resonance spectroscopy (EPR), suggests that the electron transfer processes at the oxide surface are favored by the presence of the metal, in the order Pt > Ru ion-exchanged > Ru-supported. A rationale was given for the differences and for the choice of a material suitable to high sensitivity gas sensors.