ZnO quantum dots decorated on graphene oxide and graphene nanoplatelets: Comparison the structure and sensing properties

In this study, we successfully synthesized ZnO quantum dots decorated on graphene oxide (GO) and graphene nanoplatelets (GNP) using a simple hydrothermal method. The synthesized ZnO/GO and ZnO/GNP nano composites were thoroughly characterized using various techniques, including X-ray diffraction (XRD), energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX), Raman and photoluminescence spectroscopies, Transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and Brunauer-Emmett-Teller analysis (BET). We further evaluated the gas sensing capabilities of the synthesized samples. Excitingly, our results demonstrated that the ZnO/GNP sensor exhibited significantly enhanced gas sensing performance for ethylene glycol compared to both the ZnO/GO and pure ZnO sensors. Specifically, at 280 degrees C, the ZnO/GNP nanocomposite sensor displayed impressive responses of approximately 51 and 183 towards 50 ppm and 200 ppm ethylene glycol, respectively. Moreover, the ZnO/GNP sensor exhibited exceptional selectivity in detecting ethylene glycol. These findings suggest that ZnO quantum dots decorated on commercial graphene nanoplatelets could be a promising candidate for highly sensitive ethylene glycol gas sensors.