Highly sensitive cataluminescence gas sensors for 2-butanone based on g-C3N4 sheets decorated with CuO nanoparticles.

A simple and facile ultrasound-assisted and calcining synthesis route was used to synthesize g-C3N4 sheets decorated with CuO nanoparticles (CuO/g-C3N4). On the basis of the XRD, XPS as well as TEM analysis, CuO nanoparticles which have high density and uniformity were evenly dispersed on g-C3N4 sheets to form a heterogeneous composite. The CuO/g-C3N4 composite was fabricated to be a gas sensor for 2-butanone, a common volatile organic compound, based on the interesting cataluminescence (CTL) phenomenon of 2-butanone originating from its catalyzing oxidation on the surface of CuO/g-C3N4 composite. The analytical characteristics of the CTL sensor based on CuO/g-C3N4 composite sensing material for 2-butanone were systematically investigated under the optimal experimental conditions. It demonstrated a fast response and recovery time about less than 2 and 40 s, respectively. The linear range of the 2-butanone gas sensor was 16.11-161.08 μg mL-1 (r = 0.998) and the limit of detection was 11.06 μg mL-1 (S/N = 3).