Doped graphene used for ultrasensitive gas sensors

Graphene on its own is a highly sensitive gas sensor. When infused with boron atoms, the resulting sensors were able to detect ammonia molecules in parts per million, and nitrogen oxides in parts per billion. Compared to pure graphene, this equates to a 27 times greater sensitivity to nitrogen oxides and 10,000 times greater sensitivity to ammonia. The work, published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, could pave the way for sensors for a range of other materials, say the researchers.

“This is a project that we have been pursuing for the past four years, ” said Mauricio Terrones, professor of physics, chemistry and materials science at Pennsylvania State University.

“We were previously able to dope graphene with atoms of nitrogen, but boron proved to be much more difficult. Once we were able to synthesise what we believed to be boron graphene, we collaborated with experts in the United States and around the world to confirm our research and test the properties of our material.”