Room temperature detection of aspergillus flavus volatile organic compounds (VOCs) under simulated conditions using graphene oxide and tin oxide Nanorods (SnO2 NRs-GO)

Abstract

This study investigated the application of a hybrid nanocomposite of tin oxide nanorods (SnO2 NRs) and graphene oxide (GO) for the chemoresistive detection of some volatile compounds (hexanal, benzaldehyde, octanal, 1-octanol, and ethyl acetate vapours) emitted by Aspergillus flavus under simulated conditions. The synthesised materials were characterised using various analytical techniques, including high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HR-TEM), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), Raman spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction (XRD), Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) analysis, and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). Three sensors were fabricated: individual nanomaterials (i.e., SnO2 and GO) and composites (SnO2-GO). The results showed that SnO2 NRs had limited sensitivity as a sensor, while GO-based sensors responded to various analyte vapours. However, the incorporation of SnO2 NRs into GO layers resulted in synergistic effects and improved sensor performance. The sensors' sensitivity, selectivity, recovery, and response times were quantitatively determined from the sensors' response curves. The nanocomposite sensor demonstrated superior sensitivity and selectivity for analyte vapours with acceptable response and recovery times. In addition, the sensor was insensitive to humidity and showed robust performance up to 62% RH, although sensor drift occurred at 70% RH. This study highlights the promising potential of using SnO2 NRs-GO composite-based sensor for sensitive and selective detection of analyte vapours, which has significant implications for food safety and environmental monitoring applications.