Graphene oxide-SnO2 nanocomposite: synthesis, characterization, and enhanced gas sensing properties

Graphene oxide-tin oxide (GO-SnO2) nanocomposite has been successfully prepared by a facile method via a hydrothermal treatment of aqueous dispersion of graphene oxide in the presence of tin chloride. The combined characterizations including X-ray diffraction, Raman, transmission electron microscopy and Brunauer-Emmett-Teller technique N-2 adsorption-desorption analyses indicate the successful formation of GO-SnO2 nanocomposite with average crystal size about 14 nm. The gas sensing performances to ethanol, acetone, toluene, formaldehyde were studied for the GO-SnO2 composition samples. The gas sensing results exhibit that GO doped can dramatically enhance the gas sensitivity to the test gases and increase the selectivity to ethanol.