Recent progress on the development of metal oxides/graphene composites for gas sensing

Semiconductor metal oxides, a type of important sensing materials used extensively in the field of gas sensing, have excellent electrochemical, catalytic and impedance alternating properties, which make them suitable for sensing all kinds of oxidation and reduction gases. Meanwhile, graphene, a kind of unique two-dimensional and single-atom thick carbon material with sp2 bonded carbon atoms, shows excellent physical-chemical properties and attracts increasing attention in recent years. Great attention has been focused on the application of metal oxide/graphene hybrids in the field of gas sensing by taking advantages of the excellent gas sensing properties of metal oxides and the unique electrical, mechanical and thermal properties of graphene. This review summarizes the applications of different morphologies of metal oxides hybrided with different structured graphene composites in gas sensing field. Here, gas sensing properties of different metal oxide/graphene hybrids for the same target gas and the latest research progress of metal oxide/graphene hybrid materials are also highlighted. Finally, a brief conclusion and an outlook on the application of metal oxide/graphene composites in the field of gas sensing are discussed.