Acetone gas sensors based on graphene-ZnFe2O4 composite prepared by solvothermal method

In order to study the gas-sensing properties of graphene-ZnFe2O4 composite, graphene-mixed ZnFe2O4 with different mixing ratios are prepared via solvothermal method and characterized by X-ray diffraction using CuKα. Before preparing graphene-ZnFe2O4 composite, graphene is firstly prepared by reduction of graphene oxide with hydrazine hydrate and identified by FT-IR and Raman spectrometer. The gas-sensing experiments include the effects of graphene mixing weight and solvothermal temperature on the gas-sensing response, the selectivity and reproducibility, and the response of the sensor based on 0.125%G-ZnFe2O4 to acetone in various concentrations. The experimental results reveal that the mixing of graphene into ZnFe2O4 can lower the operating temperature of the sensors to acetone vapor, and the sensor based on 0.125%G-ZnFe2O4 (180 °C, 10 h) exhibits good selectivity and reproducibility to 10 ppm acetone vapor at 275 °C. So, the sensor based on 0.125%G-ZnFe2O4 (180 °C, 10 h) may be applied to detect diabetes mellitus via measuring the acetone vapor at low temperature if the selectivity and response are improved further and the amount relation of sensing response versus concentration of acetone is found.