Hydrogen Sensing of Graphene-based Chemoresistive Gas Sensor Enabled by Surface Decoration

Abstract

Hydrogen (H2) is considered as a new clean energy resource for replacing petroleum because it produces only H2O after the combustion process. However, owing to its explosive nature, it is extremely important to detect H2 gas in the ambient atmosphere. This has triggered the development of H2 gas sensors. 2-dimensional (2D) graphene has emerged as one of the most promising candidates for chemical sensors in various industries. In particular, graphene exhibits outstanding potential in chemoresistive gas sensors for the detection of diverse harmful gases and the control of indoor air quality. Graphene-based chemoresistive gas sensors have attracted tremendous attention owing to their promising properties such as room temperature operation, effective gas adsorption, and high flexibility and transparency. Pristine graphene exhibits good sensitivity to NO2 gas at room temperature and relatively low sensitivity to H2 gas. Thus, research to control the selectivity of graphene gas sensors and improve the sensitivity to H2 gas has been performed. Noble metal decoration and metal oxide decoration on the surface of graphene are the most favored approaches for effectively controlling the selectivity of graphene gas sensors. Herein, we introduce several strategies that enhance the sensitivity of graphene gas sensors to H2 gas.