Interfacial Ammonia Selectivity, Atmospheric Passivation, and Molecular Identification in Graphene-Nanopored Activated Carbon Molecular-Sieve Gas Sensors

Abstract

Graphene’s inherent nonselectivity and strong atmospheric doping render most graphene-based sensors unsuitable for atmospheric applications in environmental monitoring of pollutants and breath detection of biomarkers for noninvasive medical diagnosis. Hence, demonstrations of graphene’s gas sensitivity are often in inert environments such as nitrogen, consequently of little practical relevance. Herein, target gas sensing at the graphene–activated carbon interface of a graphene-nanopored activated carbon molecular-sieve sensor obtained via the postlithographic pyrolysis of Novolac resin residues on graphene nanoribbons is shown to simultaneously induce ammonia selectivity and atmospheric passivation of graphene. Consequently, 500 parts per trillion (ppt) ammonia sensitivity in atmospheric air is achieved with a response time of ∼3 s. The similar graphene and a-C workfunctions ensure that the ambipolar and gas-adsorption-induced charge transfer characteristics of pristine graphene are retained. Harnessing the van der Waals bonding memory and electrically tunable charge-transfer characteristics of the adsorbed molecules on the graphene channel, a molecular identification technique (charge neutrality point disparity) is developed and demonstrated to be suitable even at parts per billion (ppb) gas concentrations. The selectivity and atmospheric passivation induced by the graphene–activated carbon interface enable atmospheric applications of graphene sensors in environmental monitoring and noninvasive medical diagnosis.

Anomalous Random Telegraph Signal in Suspended Graphene with Oxygen Adsorption: Implications for Gas Sensing

“…Suspended GNR devices were fabricated in the same chip. The fabricated nanoribbons’ dimensions are in the nanoscale range because very good gas sensitivity has already been demonstrated in such scales. , Some devices showed RTS in the vacuum. Later, it was verified through SEM images that these devices had collapsed (Figure S1).…”

“…As a two-dimensional material with semi-metallic properties, graphene has many desirable properties, like high conductivity, high mechanical strength, chemical stability, and large specific surface area . Because of this, graphene is a promising material to be used in applications like biological, mass, pressure, electric field, and gas sensing. − Even single adsorption/desorption detection has already been demonstrated in suspended graphene. , Furthermore, low-dimensional materials like graphene present low noise levels. − …”