Zno Quantum Dots Decorated on Graphene Oxide and Graphene Nanoplatelets: Comparison the Structure and Sensing Properties

Abstract

ZnO quantum dots were successfully decorated on graphene oxide (GO) and graphene nanoplatelets (GNP) using a simple hydrothermal method. The characteristics of synthesized ZnO/GO and ZnO/GNP nanocomposites were examined by employing different analyzing methods such as X-ray diffraction (XRD), energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX), Raman and photoluminescence spectroscopies, Transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and Brunauer–Emmett–Teller analysis (BET). Following that, the capabilities of the samples were examined as efficient gas sensors. The collected data represented that the ZnO/GNP sensor exhibits significantly enhanced gas sensing performance for ethylene glycol in comparison to the ZnO/GO and pure ZnO sensors. Sensor responses of the ZnO/GNP nanocomposite toward 50 and 200 ppm ethylene glycol reached about 51 and 183 at 280 °C. Furthermore, the ZnO/GNP sensor demonstrated exceptional selectivity in detecting ethylene glycol. Hence ZnO quantum dots decorated on commercial graphene nanoplatelets could be an ultra-sensitive ethylene glycol detecting material.

Keywords: ZnO quantum dots, Ethylene glycol sensing, Hydrothermal method, Graphene nanoplatelets