Rapid, One-Step Synthesis of Laser-Scribed Graphene Sensor for Self-Activated Chemiresistive NO₂ Detection

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Nanotechnology
• Sensor Technology

Background:

• Laser-scribed graphene (LSG) is a cost-effective and stable material for sensor applications.
• LSG offers advantages over other graphene fabrication methods for advanced sensor development.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a rapid, one-step synthesis for a highly sensitive and selective LSG sensor.
• To enable self-activated chemiresistive detection of nitrogen dioxide (NO2).

Main Methods:

• Fabrication of LSG sensors using a rapid, one-step synthesis.
• Characterization using FE-SEM, HR-TEM, Raman spectroscopy, XRD, X-ray photoemission spectroscopy, Hall measurement, and IR thermography.
• Testing sensor performance for NO2 detection, including sensitivity, selectivity, reversibility, and long-term reliability.

Main Results:

• The LSG sensor exhibited high electrical conductivity (23.4 ± 0.8 Ω/sq) and sensitive, selective, reversible NO2 detection without heating.
• Three-dimensional porous graphene ensured 42-day reliability in a self-activated state.
• Achieved a low detection limit of 2.68 ppb for NO2 with high reliability.

Conclusions:

• The rapid, one-step LSG synthesis is a promising method for scalable production of high-performance gas sensors.
• The self-activated LSG sensor demonstrates excellent potential for practical NO2 detection applications.
• This approach facilitates the development of advanced, cost-effective graphene-based sensors.