Carboxyl-functionalized
molybdenum disulfide (COOH-MoS2) nanosheets were prepared
through a facile low-temperature hydrothermal
method. The phase transformation of metallic-1T to 2H-semiconductor
COOH-MoS2 nanosheets was conducted through introducing
Au thin film on the unclad optical fiber as a sensing layer in a low
temperature. The developed structure successfully refined the loss
of the semiconducting properties and poor adhesion of COOH-MoS2 on the unclad polymer optical fiber, which provided limited
semiconductor potential as the sensing layers on the optical fiber
surfaces. The sensing performance of the as-prepared structure was
tested for quantitative detection of three different volatile organic
carbons (VOCs) of ethanol, propanol, and methanol gases as well as
cross-sensitivity to relative humidity. The operating principle was
based on intensity variation of the evanescent wave in the sensing
region. The response of the proposed sensing system shows maximum
response and better linearity (R
2 = 0.999)
to methanol at room temperature. Finally, the comparative experimental
cross-sensitivity to relative humidity and methanol was also studied
to evaluate the potential of sensing range.