In this work, graphene-oxide-decorated porous ZnO nanosheets were prepared using a hydrothermal method. The graphene oxide/porous ZnO nanosheet (GO/ZnO nanosheet) composites were characterized with SEM, HRTEM, XRD, Raman spectroscopy, XPS and BET. The results indicate that the ZnO nanosheets have a porous, single-crystal structure. Thin GO nanosheets closely cover the surface of porous ZnO nanosheets. The sensing performance of GO/ZnO nanosheet composites is investigated. At the optimized temperature of 300 °C, the GO/ZnO nanosheet composites exhibit a superior sensing performance in n-propanol detection. In a wide range of 5–200 ppm, the composites exhibit a linear response to n-propanol. Moreover, the sensing performance of the GO/ZnO nanosheet composites to n-propanol is largely higher than that to other VOC gases, indicating a high selectivity in n-propanol detection. This can be ascribed to the higher electron-separation efficiency and larger depletion layer brought by the modification of the GO on ZnO nanosheets. It is considered that the GO/ZnO nanosheet composites have a great application potential in n-propanol detection.

Ethylene is the most common ripening phytohormone in fruits, and excess ethylene can overripen the fruit. However, the in-field detection of ethylene is still limited. In this work, ultrafine Pd nanoparticles-decorated porous ZnO nanosheets (UPNP ZnO nanosheets) were conveniently synthesized through a facile solvent reduction method. The UPNP ZnO nanosheets were characterized using scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, energy dispersive spectrum, X-ray diffraction and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The ZnO nanosheets were uniformly coated with Pd nanoparticles. The size of the Pd nanoparticle was very small, with a diameter of approximately 2 nm. Due to the unique structure of the porous ZnO nanosheets and the excellent catalytic properties of the ultrafine Pd nanoparticles, the as-prepared samples showed very high sensing performance in ethylene detection. The lowest detection concentration was 10 ppb, which is the lowest detection limit to our knowledge. It has been proved that the decoration of ultrafine Pd nanoparticles can largely increase the relative percentage of chemisorbed oxygen and deficient oxygen, which are benefits for ethylene oxidation, and actually accelerate the process of the sensing reaction. Furthermore, the UPNP ZnO nanosheets can even be applied in fruit maturity detection. Using mangos as an example, our experiment revealed that the response of UPNP ZnO nanosheets to mangos at different maturity stages was quite different. This result suggests that our product has broad application prospects in monitoring fruit ripening stage.

In the present work, the porous MgO nanosheet-modified activated carbon fiber felt (MgO@ACFF) was prepared for fluoride removal. The MgO@ACFF was characterized by XRD, SEM, TEM, EDS, TG, and BET. The fluoride adsorption performance of MgO@ACFF also has been investigated. The adsorption rate of the MgO@ACFF toward fluoride is fast; more than 90% of the fluoride ions can be adsorbed within 100 min, and the adsorption kinetics of MgO@ACFF can be fitted in a pseudo-second-order model. The adsorption isotherm of MgO@ACFF fitted well in the Freundlich model. Additionally, the fluoride adsorption capacity of MgO@ACFF is larger than 212.2 mg/g at neutral. In a wide pH range of 2–10, the MgO@ACFF can efficiently remove fluoride from water, which is meaningful for practical usage. The effect of co-existing anions on the fluoride removal efficiency of the MgO@ACFF also has been studied. Furthermore, the fluoride adsorption mechanism of the MgO@ACFF was studied by the FTIR and XPS, and the results reveal a hydroxyl and carbonate co-exchange mechanism. The column test of the MgO@ACFF also has been investigated; 505-bed volumes of 5 mg/L fluoride solution can be treated with effluent under 1.0 mg/L. It is believed that the MgO@ACFF is a potential candidate for a fluoride adsorbent.