D-space-controlled graphene oxide hybrid membrane-loaded SnO2 nanosheets for selective H2 detection

Abstract

The accurate detection of hydrogen gas molecules is considered to be important for industrial safety. However, the selective detection of the gas using semiconductive metal oxides (SMOs)-based sensors is challenging. Here, we describe the fabrication of H2 sensors in which a nanocellulose/graphene oxide (GO) hybrid membrane is attached to SnO2 nanosheets (NSs). One-dimensional (1D) nanocellulose fibrils are attached to the surface of GO NSs (GONC membrane) by mixing GO and anocellulose in a solution. The as-prepared GONC membrane is employed as a sacrificial template for SnO2 NSs as well as a molecular sieving membrane for selective H2 filtration. The combination of GONC membrane and SnO2 NSs showed substantial selectivity to hydrogen gas (Rair / Rgas > 10 @ 0.8% H2, 100o C) with noise level responses to interfering gases (H2S, CO, CH3COCH3, C2H5OH, and NO2). These remarkable sensing results are attributed mainly to the molecular sieving effect of the GONC membrane. These results can facilitate the development of a highly selective H2 detector using SMO sensors.