An investigation of GO-SnO2-TiO2 ternary nanocomposite for the detection of acetone in diabetes mellitus patient's breath

Highlights: • The ternary nanocomposite synthesized via one-step solvothermal method are with (1 0 1) TiO₂ and (1 1 0) SnO₂ polar facets. • R_a/R_g towards 1ppm Acetone is 12.27 when operated at 200°C and exhibited linearity at lower concentration. • Response time of GO-SnO₂-TiO₂ sensor for detecting 1ppm acetone is as low as 10s. • Selectivity of acetone sensor indicates the possibility for the detection of diabetes mellitus from exhaled breath. Graphene Oxide-Tin Dioxide-Titanium Dioxide (GO-SnO₂-TiO₂) ternary nanocomposite were synthesized via solvothermal route and used for acetone vapor detection in the lower concentration range as in diabetes mellitus patient's breath. The morphology and composition of the GO-SnO₂-TiO₂ were characterized by Scanning electron microscope (SEM), Transmission electron microscope (TEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). The gas sensing properties of the GO-SnO₂-TiO₂ nanocomposite film were investigated under various operating temperature, and the optimal working temperature of 200 °C was determined. The GO-SnO₂-TiO₂ sensor exhibits superior gas sensing performance toward acetone in the range of 0.25 ppm to 30 ppm as compared to the GO-SnO₂, GO-TiO₂ binary counterparts. The gas sensing mechanism of the proposed ternary nanocomposite was attributed to the good synergistic effect between the materials, including high availability of oxygen vacant facets and special interactions at the SnO₂-TiO₂ heterojunction. The experimented sensor properties indicate that the prepared GO-SnO₂-TiO₂ composite is an excellent candidate for selective detection of acetone gas in diabetes mellitus breath at low temperature.