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SnO2 nanospheres with diameters of 30∼50 nm and PtxCu1-x bimetallic nanoparticles with sizes of approximately 10 nm were synthesized via hydrothermal and solvothermal methods, respectively. The PtxCu1-x bimetallic nanoparticles were impregnated on the surface of the SnO2 spheres to form PtxCu1-x-SnO2 nanocomposites. By varying the atomic ratios between platinum (Pt) and copper (Cu), we found that Pt0.75Cu0.25-SnO2, with a large specific surface area of 89.21 m2/g, enabled the selective and accurate detection of low-concentration formaldehyde compared to other metal-deposited samples and pure SnO2. The response value of Pt0.75Cu0.25-SnO2 to 500 × 10−9 formaldehyde was approximately 20 at an operating temperature of 160 ℃ with an extremely high-speed response (15 s). The porous structures with large specific surface areas, as well as the improved catalytic effects of Pt0.75Cu0.25, comprehensively contributed to the enhanced sensing performance towards formaldehyde.