Electrical and sensory properties of silicon–graphene nanosystems

In this study, the hybrid silicon nanocrystals (nc-Si)–reduced graphene oxide (RGO) nanosystems are suggested as sensitive elements to the creation of an ammonia sensor. The transport of charge carriers in the nc-Si–RGO nanosystem was studied in the 25 Hz–1 MHz frequency range. It is shown that an increase in the RGO content leads to decreasing the electrical resistance and increasing the capacity of the obtained nanomaterial. An essential increase in the electrical conductivity under influence of ammonia molecules was detected. To estimate the sensing properties of our nanosystems, their sensing abilities and dynamic characteristics were analyzed. The response time of the sensory elements to changing the concentrations of ammonia molecules was about 20 s.