scholarly journals Metal Oxide Nanoparticle-Decorated Few Layer Graphene Nanoflake Chemoresistors for the Detection of Aromatic Volatile Organic Compounds

Sensors ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 20 (12) ◽  
pp. 3413 ◽  
Author(s):  
Syrine Behi ◽  
Nadra Bohli ◽  
Juan Casanova-Cháfer ◽  
Eduard Llobet ◽  
Adnane Abdelghani

Benzene, toluene, and xylene, commonly known as BTX, are hazardous aromatic organic vapors with high toxicity towards living organisms. Many techniques are being developed to provide the community with portable, cost effective, and high performance BTX sensing devices in order to effectively monitor the quality of air. In this paper, we study the effect of decorating graphene with tin oxide (SnO2) or tungsten oxide (WO3) nanoparticles on its performance as a chemoresistive material for detecting BTX vapors. Transmission electron microscopy and environmental scanning electron microscopy are used as morphological characterization techniques. SnO2-decorated graphene displayed high sensitivity towards benzene, toluene, and xylene with the lowest tested concentrations of 2 ppm, 1.5 ppm, and 0.2 ppm, respectively. In addition, we found that, by employing these nanomaterials, the observed response could provide a unique double signal confirmation to identify the presence of benzene vapors for monitoring occupational exposure in the textiles, painting, and adhesives industries or in fuel stations.

Author(s):  
Howard S. Kaufman ◽  
Keith D. Lillemoe ◽  
John T. Mastovich ◽  
Henry A. Pitt

Gallstones contain precipitated cholesterol, calcium salts, and proteins. Calcium (Ca) bilirubinate, palmitate, phosphate, and carbonate occurring in gallstones have variable morphologies but characteristic windowless energy dispersive x-ray (EDX) spectra. Previous studies of gallstone microstructure and composition using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) with EDX have been limited to dehydrated samples. In this state, Ca bilirubinates appear as either glassy masses, which predominate in black pigment stones, or as clusters, which are found mostly in cholesterol gallstones. The three polymorphs of Ca carbonate, calcite, vaterite, and aragonite, have been identified in gallstones by x-ray diffraction, however; the morphologies of these crystals vary in the literature. The purpose of this experiment was to study fresh gallstones by environmental SEM (ESEM) to determine if dehydration affects gallstone Ca salt morphology.Gallstones and bile were obtained fresh at cholecystectomy from 6 patients. To prevent dehydration, stones were stored in bile at 37°C. All samples were studied within 4 days of procurement.


2001 ◽  
Vol 707 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ian C. Bache ◽  
Catherine M. Ramsdale ◽  
D. Steve Thomas ◽  
Ana-Claudia Arias ◽  
J. Devin MacKenzie ◽  
...  

ABSTRACTCharacterising the morphology of thin films for use in device applications requires the ability to study both the structure within the plane of the film, and also through its thickness. Environmental scanning electron microscopy has proved to be a fruitful technique for the study of such films both because contrast can be seen within the film without the need for staining (as is conventionally done for electron microscopy), and because cross-sectional images can be obtained without charging artefacts. The application of ESEM to a particular blend of relevance to photovoltaics is described.


2019 ◽  
Vol 97 (2) ◽  
pp. 140-146
Author(s):  
Tian Gan ◽  
Zhikai Wang ◽  
Mengru Chen ◽  
Wanqiu Fu ◽  
Haibo Wang ◽  
...  

In this work, the Ag@Cu particles with yolk–shell nanostructure was prepared by facile solvothermal method, which was modified on glassy carbon electrode (GCE) to fabricate electrochemical sensor for the convenient and fast determination of p-aminobenzoic acid (PABA). The surface morphology and electrochemical properties of the as-prepared Ag@Cu nanocomposite modified electrode were characterized by scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, chronocoulometry, and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy. Further, the electrochemical sensing of PABA was performed on the Ag@Cu/GCE using cyclic voltammetry and differential pulse voltammetry techniques, showing high catalytic activity. Under the optimal conditions, the sensor exhibited a wide linear range, high sensitivity, and low detection limit of 0.315 μmol/L for PABA. The developed sensor was also successfully applied for PABA detection in anesthetic and cosmetics with satisfactory results.


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document