Preparation, investigation, and temperature sensing application of rGO/SnO2/Co3O4 composite

Abstract

AbstractThe uprising era of technological applications seeks solutions that facilitate daily life activities. Sensors with their different types provide fast and reliable information. The employment of graphene oxide in these sensors complies with the general requirement for sensor's functionalization and easily achieves the purpose for which the sensor was prepared. In this report, we have synthesized rGO/SnO2/Co3O4 composite with a star-like structure through a facile chemical route. The mentioned structure was employed as a temperature sensor within a temperature range of 25–125 °C and a wide span of relative humidity values. In order to assess the quality of preparation and the sensing ability, the composite was inspected by the following techniques: XRD, FTIR, SEM, and thermal analysis in addition to the sensing measurements. The XRD results affirmed the successful incorporation of the SnO2/Co3O4 onto the rGO with 18 nm average crystallite size. The SEM results revealed the characteristic star-like structure with a mean length of 100 nm. The main functional groups are reflected in the FTIR results. The outcomes elucidated a linear response between the resistance and temperature, where the temperature coefficient of resistance is estimated to be 0.006/°C. These results confirm the validity of this structure for temperature sensing applications.