Sulfur dioxide adsorbed on graphene and heteroatom-doped graphene: a first-principles study

The adsorption of sulfur dioxide (SO2) on intrinsic graphene and heteroatom-doped (B, N, Al, Si, Cr, Mn, Ag, Au, and Pt) graphene samples was theoretically studied using first-principles approach based on density functional theory to exploit their potential applications as SO2 gas sensors. The structural and electronic properties of the graphene-molecule adsorption adducts are strongly dependent on the dopants. SO2 molecule is adsorbed weakly on intrinsic graphene, and B-, N-doped graphene; in general, strong chemisorption is observed on Al-, Si-, Cr-, Mn-, Ag-, Au-, and Pt-doped graphene. The adsorption mechanisms are discussed from charge transfers and density of states. This work reveals that the sensitivity of graphene-based chemical gas sensors for SO2 can be drastically improved by introducing appropriate dopant, and Cr, as well as Mn, may be the best choices among all the dopants.