Highly Sensitive SnO2-Reduced Graphene Oxide Hybrid Composites for Room Temperature Acetone Sensor

Human exhaled breath contains thousands of different volatile organic compounds (VOCs) derived from the body’s metabolic processes. Amount of acetone in human breath is an important biomarker for metabolic (diabetes) conditions in the bloodstream. Metal oxide semiconductor (MOX) is one of the archetypal sensing material for VOC. However, MOX sensors are perilous with notable disadvantages, such as low sensitivity and high operating temperature. This research work focuses on developing a new hybrid gas sensor based on metal oxide and reduced graphene oxide (rGO) by hydrothermal method at mild conditions. The performance of tin oxide-reduced graphene oxide (SnO2-rGO) composite towards acetone at room temperature has been evaluated. The hybrid sensor displays a good response (frequency shift: 1089 Hz) towards 10 ppm acetone, fast response time and recovery time of below 16 s, and regression R2 = 0.8647. This shows that the synergetic effect of rGO and SnO2 can be used as an effective acetone detector and, at the same time, offers a cost-effective alternative to bulkier systems for noninvasive diagnosis of diabetes.