Cotton-like Fe sub(2)O sub(3) anchored on graphene sheets for improved NO sub(2) sensing at room temperature

• Published in: Journal of materials science. Materials in electronics Vol. 26; no. 7; pp. 5024 - 5029
• Main Authors: Wang, Yumei, Gong, Siying
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: 01.07.2015
• Subjects: Detection; Diffraction; Graphene; Materials science; Nitrogen dioxide; Oxides; Sensors; Sulfates
• ISSN: 0957-4522; 1573-482X
• DOI: 10.1007/s10854-015-3019-y

In this work, cotton-like Fe sub(2)O sub(3)-reduced graphene oxide (rGO) composites were synthesized by a one-step microwave-assisted hydrothermal method, using ferrous sulfate (FeSO sub(4)) precursor in graphene oxide (GO) solution. The as-obtained products were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), field-emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM), and Fourier-transform infrared (FT-IR) spectra. The results indicated that the cotton-like Fe sub(2)O sub(3) was successfully anchored on graphene sheets with a homogeneous distribution. To demonstrate the potential applications, the sensor was fabricated by using the cotton-like Fe sub(2)O sub(3)-rGO composites for detection of NO sub(2) at room temperature. The testing results demonstrate that the sensor exhibited an excellent selectivity and a significant response to NO sub(2) with a concentration lower to 1 ppm. The present study may serve as a facile and green approach for preparing graphene materials modified with metal oxides to improve their sensing performances.