A Novel SPR Sensor Response for Chemical Sensing of Organic Solvents: A Computational Approach

ABSTRACT We propose here a zinc selenide (ZnSe)‐graphene‐reliant sensitive surface plasmon resonance (SPR) sensor for detecting chemicals such as D 2 O, alcohol, and acetone. The sensor's performance is evaluated using the transfer matrix method (TMM) with respect to reflectivity, sensitivity, detection accuracy, and figure of merit. The results are then further analyzed by adjusting the sensor's structural parameters to design an optimal structure with optimal performance. Nine ZnSe layers and a monolayer of graphene were used to optimize sensor performance. With a Figure of Merit (FoM) of 46.704 RIU −1 and a maximum sensitivity of 279.666 deg/RIU, this hybrid structure is positioned atop a 45 nm thick layer of silver. The performance of the sensor structure was also evaluated over a wide detection range of 1.33–1.39, as many biological solutions fall within this range.