Development of a high performance oxygen sensor operating at room temperature

In this paper, is described the development of a simple, low cost and high performance conductometric oxygen sensor operating at room temperature. SnO2/r-GO hybrid nanocomposites have been used as the sensing materials. SnO2/r-GO composites have been synthesized by a microwave-assisted method. The characterization results indicate that hybrid nanocomposites are composed of small crystalline SnO2 nanoparticles (about 3 nm in diameter) dispersed uniformly on r-GO sheets. The electrical and gas sensing properties of hybrid nanocomposites under dark and UV irradiation have been investigated. The results reported suggest that the combination of the high reactivity of SnO2 nanoparticles highly dispersed on the surface of the r-GO sheets and UV irradiation, play a key role in promoting the oxygen sensing at room temperature. The sensing characteristics of the developed sensor are promising for its use in the monitoring of oxygen level in closed or confined ambient for preventing hazardous conditions for peoples living or working in these places.