Improving the ammonia sensing of reduced graphene oxide film by using metal nano-materials

Abstract

Gas sensing is one of the most promising applications for reduced graphene oxide (rGO). High surface-to-volume ratio in conjunction with remaining reactive oxygen functional groups translates into sensitivity to molecular on the rGO surface. The response of the rGO based devices can be further improved by functionalizing its surface with metal nano-materials. In this paper, we report the ammonia (NH3) sensing behavior of rGO based sensors functionalized with nano-structured metal: silver (Ag) or platinum (Pt) or gold (Au) in air at room temperature and atmospheric pressure. The gas response is detected by the monitoring changes in electrical resistance of the rGO/metal hybrids due to NH3 gas adsorption. Compared to bare rGO, significantly improved NH3 sensitivity is observed with the addition of nano-structured metals. These materials are applied to play the small bridges role connecting many graphene islands together to improve electrical conduction of hybrids while maintaining the inherent advantage of rGO for NH3 gas sensitivity.