Macrocycle-Functionalized RGO for Gas Sensors for BTX Detection Using a Double Transduction Mode

To fabricate mass and resistive sensors based on reduced graphene oxide (RGO), we investigated the functionalization of RGO by tetra tert-butyl phthalocyanine (PcH2tBu), which possesses a macroring and tert-butyl peripheral groups. Herein, we present the gas sensor responses of the functionalized RGO toward benzene, toluene, and xylene (BTX) vapors. The RGO was obtained by the reduction of graphene oxide (GO) using citrate as a reducing agent, while the functionalization was achieved non-covalently by simply using ultrasonic and heating treatment. The sensor devices based on both QCM (quartz crystal microbalance) and resistive transducers were used simultaneously to understand the reactivity. Both the GO and the RGO showed less sensitivity to BTX vapors, while the RGO/PcH2tBu presented enhanced sensor responses. These results show that the p-network plays a very important role in targeting BTX vapors. The resistive response analysis allowed us to state that the RGO is a p-type semiconductor and that the interaction is governed by charge transfer, while the QCM response profiles allowed use to determine the differences between the BTX vapors. Among BTX, benzene shows the weakest sensitivity and a reactivity in the higher concentration range (>600 ppm). The toluene and xylene showed linear responses in the range of 100–600 ppm.