Brian Yuliarto
One of the big problems being faced by all nations in the world is increasingly severe environmental damage. The environmental damage due to the exploitation of the environment is massive and industrialized resulting in an increasingly unhealthy air environment. The air environment which is the backbone of human life is increasingly experiencing a pollution originating from various motorized vehicles and caused by pollution from industrial emissions. Various international and national meetings, researchers and policy makers agreed to jointly stop the increase in pollution given the increasingly critical environmental conditions. Air sensors as detection tools to measure environmental air composition levels need to be installed in various regions so that it can be detected early in the air. This condition will make the need for mastery of sensor technology in Indonesia. The magnitude of the territory of Indonesia and the rapid population growth, industry and the increase in motorized vehicles high demanding the need for effective control of the health of the air environment. Mitigation of air pollution needs to be supported by the development of air sensor technology in Indonesia. Unfortunately, until now there has been no air sensor tools that are formalized in Indonesia. Therefore, air health sensors and various other types of sensors are urgent needs in order to support government programs in the field of environmental health and disaster mitigation related to this climate change. In this study the synthesis will be studied, the characterization and application of the graphene nanocomposite material and metal oxide semiconductor as a sensor making material to detect carbon monoxide gas produced by industries and motorized vehicles. At the initial stage it will be synthesized by a simple method in making graphene. The utilization of advanced graphene and semiconductor metal oxide is the first to be developed in Indonesia and in the international world is also not too much. The study and identification of driving force in the synthesis process will be carried out using the graphene oxide reduction technique. Graphene and semiconductor metal oxides are material with a very unique nano structure and have electrical characteristics that have the potential to be used as gas sensors. The final result of this advanced material deposition will then be compiled as a sensor division using an alumina substrate. The resulting sensor devices will be carried out a sensor performance test for carbon monoxide gas which will then be analyzed sensitivity and the response time of the sensor. This research is actually a continuation of several studies that have been carried out by the new functional material laboratory, physics engineering expertise group. Some thin semiconductor layers such as ZnO, TiO2, Nano's structured SNO2 have been developed with the method of crystal growth. The thin layer of nano structure that has been successfully synthesized will be developed as an air sensor. Some publications have been successfully issued from this study [1.3-25]. This research will conduct a study of the influence of the modification of the material at the sensor performance. It is hoped that this research will increase the ability of FTI's physics techniques that collaborate with FMIPA Electronic Material Physics KK to develop nanomaterials and their applications in sensor technology. Graphene-based sensor devices and metal oxide semiconductors and sensor characterization equipment that will be developed will be a very important asset for ITB for further development of sensor technology and monitoring air environmental conditions in Indonesia. The first and original research is expected to produce scientific publications in various world leading journals.