Facile Solvothermal Synthesis and Gas Sensitivity of Graphene/WO3 Nanocomposites

• Main Authors: Yanghai Gui, Junhua Yuan, Weiming Wang, Jianbo Zhao, Junfeng Tian, Bing Xie
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: MDPI AG 2014-06-01
• Series: Materials
• Subjects: WO3; graphene/WO3; solvothermal; gas sensor
• Online Access: http://www.mdpi.com/1996-1944/7/6/4587

Graphene has attracted enormous attention owing to its extraordinary properties, while graphene-based nanocomposites hold promise for many applications. In this paper, we present a two-step exploitation method for preparation of graphene oxides and a facile solvothermal route for preparation of few-layer graphene nanosheets and graphene/WO3 nanocomposites in an ethanol-distilled water medium. The as-synthesized samples were characterized by using field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM), high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM), ultraviolet-visible (UV-vis) spectroscopy, Raman spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction (XRD), thermogravimetric-differential thermal analysis (TG-DTA) and gas-sensing test. The resistivity of the thick-film gas sensors based on sandwich-like graphene/WO3 nanocomposites can be controlled by varying the amount of graphene in the composites. Graphene/WO3 nanocomposites with graphene content higher than 1% show fast response, high selectivity and fine sensitivity to NOx.