Detection of Acetone Vapor Using Graphene on Polymer Optical Fiber

Abstract

Recently, many studies have been focused on the development of fiber optic sensor systems for various gases and vapors. In the present study, an intrinsic polymer optical fiber (POF) sensor using graphene is described for the purpose of acetone vapor sensing for the first time. Observations on the continuous measurement of acetone vapor in dehydrated air are presented. The principle of operation of sensor transduction relies on the dependence of the reflectance on the optical and geometric properties of the sensitive over layered when the vapor molecules are adsorbed on the graphene film. For the same purpose the CVD synthesized graphene film was transferred on the POF end. The synthesized graphene film thickness was evaluated using atomic force microscopy (AFM), Raman spectroscopy and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). For the preliminary evaluation using volatile organic compounds, we evaluated the sensor performance for acetone. Upon the interaction of the sensor with acetone vapor, the variation in the reflected light was monitored as a function of the acetone concentration. The sensor response shows a significant change in sensitivity as compared with the POF probe without a graphene coating. The present sensor shows a satisfactory response upon exposure to various concentrations of acetone vapor from 44 ppm to 352 ppm. To the best of our knowledge, the use of graphene film along with POF for the sensing of volatile organic compounds has not previously been reported.