Graphene-based nanocomposites for gas sensing applications

Abstract

Modern advances in science and technology significantly contribute to the improvement of quality of human life, health and protection. Nevertheless, many efforts still remain to perform especially for earth protection and environmental control. Among them, the real-time monitoring of toxic gaseous pollutants, indoor as well as outdoor, with a high level of selectivity is one of the most significant environmental challenge to address. Thus, the development of innovative, simple, sensitive, selective, repeatable, low-cost, low-consumption electronic gas sensors for either environmental monitoring or industrial applications is still required. Amongst all the sensing materials that can be used for sensor development, graphene-based materials and nanostructured metal oxides have been pointed out and are especially promising due to its intrinsic large specific surface area and high electrical conductivity. More recently, nanocomposites have been prepared using graphene and nanostructured metal oxides. Such nanocomposites appear as very attractive sensing materials because of their excellent sensing properties experimentally established, even close to room temperature. This collaborative project aims to assess the gas sensing properties of nanocomposites based on graphene-related materials towards atmospheric pollutants as hydrogen sulfide (H2S) and nitrogen dioxide (NO2), ozone (O3) and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) as interfering species. Sensitivity, Stability and Selectivity (3S) will be evaluated. (AU)