Nickel nanoparticle-decorated reduced graphene oxide/WO3 nanocomposite – a promising candidate for gas sensing

• Published in: Beilstein journal of nanotechnology 2021-04, Vol.12 (1), p.343-353
• Main Authors: Simon, Ilka, Savitsky Alexandr, Mülhaupt Rolf, Pankov, Vladimir, Janiak Christoph
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Acetone; Carbon monoxide; Decomposition; Full Research Paper; gas sensing; Gas sensors; Gases; Graphene; magnetic measurements; Metal oxides; Metals; Nanocomposites; Nanoparticles; Nanoscience; Nanotechnology; Nickel; nickel nanoparticles; Nitrogen dioxide; Noble metals; Palladium; Particle size; Recovery time; reduced graphene oxide; Response time; Sensors; tungsten oxide
• ISSN: 2190-4286; 2190-4286
• DOI: 10.3762/bjnano.12.28

We report for the first time the combination of WO3 sensing elements with a non-noble metal–carbon composite, namely a nickel metal nanoparticle–carbon composite (Ni@rGO). Previous work with WO3 had used either NiO (as part of the WO3 lattice), solely carbon, Pd-surface decorated WO3 (Pd@WO3), or Pd or Pt@carbon@WO3. We demonstrate the gas response for pure WO3, rGO/WO3 and Ni@rGO/WO3 sensing elements towards NO2 and acetone in air as well as towards CO in N2. The addition of 0.35 wt % Ni@rGO composite to WO3 enables the increase of the sensory response by more than 1.6 times for NO2 vapors. The gas response towards acetone using 0.35 wt % Ni@rGO/WO3 composite was 1.5 times greater for 3500 ppm than for 35,000 ppm acetone. For 0.35 wt % Ni@rGO/WO3 composite and CO gas, a response time (Tres) of 7 min and a recovery time (Trec) of 2 min was determined.