High-throughput prepared Pd-Ag-Ni ternary alloy thin films for room-temperature highly sensitive hydrogen sensing

Aiming to develop improved Pd-based sensing materials, this work explores the Pd-Ag-Ni ternary system. A combinatorial library was created via high-throughput co-sputtering, enabling a systematic study of how composition dictates microstructure, electrical behavior, and hydrogenation stability. The room-temperature hydrogen sensing capability of Pd-Ag-Ni films is reported here for the first time. High-throughput screening identified optimal compositions, such as Pd 50.1 Ag 22.4 Ni 22.5 , which show over 3% response to 5% H 2 at room temperature without mechanical degradation, positioning them as excellent candidates for practical hydrogen sensors. • A high-throughput strategy discovers a Pd-Ag-Ni composition that simultaneously achieves room-temperature hydrogen sensing and complete resistance to embrittlement. • This unique balance originates from a ternary synergy where nickel suppresses hydrogen uptake and silver tunes the lattice stability. • Sensor sensitivity and signal stability are directly controlled by engineering the film thickness and annealing temperature. Alloying palladium with low-cost metals is an effective approach to enhancing the properties of Pd-based films. This study employs high-throughput co-sputtering to fabricate a library of single-phase FCC Pd-Ag-Ni ternary alloy films, systematically investigating their microstructure, electrical properties, hydrogenation stability, and room-temperature hydrogen sensing performance. The effect of composition on physicochemical properties was mapped across the ternary space. A promising composition (Pd 50.1 Ag 22.4 Ni 22.5 ) was rapidly identified, exhibiting a response close to 3% to 5% H 2 at room temperature with robust mechanical stability. This work not only offers a promising candidate material system but also reveals a feasible route for synergistically optimizing performance through ternary alloying, demonstrating its potential for application in resistive hydrogen sensors.