Effect of Durian Peel Ash Added in Zinc Oxide/Reduced Graphene Oxide Composites Used as a Chemical Sensor for Hydrazine Detection

Abstract

As the hydrazine is toxic, the methods to detect hydrazine at low concentrations are essential in scientific research. This preliminary study reported on how to increase the efficiency of ZnO/reduced graphene oxide (rGO) by adding durian peel ash (DPA) and using three-electrode method. The ZnO/rGO composites were prepared using chemical reaction of graphene oxide (GO) with zinc chloride. The rGO was prepared by the chemical reduction of GO using hydrazine. The properties of the samples were investigated using scanning electron microscopy, atomic force microscopy, X-ray diffraction, and Potentiostat/Galvanostat. The results showed that the optimal condition for the composite material was 70%DPA:30%ZnO/rGO with the sensitivity of 222.92 mA/mM·cm2 and the current density up to 116.50 ± 0.95 A/g. The relationship between the current and the hydrazine concentration was I (μA) = 48.69 + 21.91C (mM) with R2 of 0.9870. The minimum concentration of hydrazine solution that the modified electrode can measure was 0.125 mM. The DPA powder can then be used to enhance the hydrazine detection efficiency at low concentrations.