{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2025,7,4]],"date-time":"2025-07-04T04:11:29Z","timestamp":1751602289857,"version":"3.41.0"},"reference-count":37,"publisher":"Public Library of Science (PLoS)","issue":"7","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2025,7,3]],"date-time":"2025-07-03T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1751500800000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"http:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":["www.plosone.org"],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["PLoS One"],"abstract":"<jats:p>This study investigates the optical and electronic properties of SnO<jats:sub>x<\/jats:sub>\/Graphene Oxide (SnO<jats:sub>x<\/jats:sub>\/GO) heterostructures, focusing on their sensitivity and selectivity to methane adsorption and its tunable light absorption capabilities across different wavelength ranges. By categorizing SnO<jats:sub>x<\/jats:sub>\/GO heterostructures into four types based on the oxygen mole fraction (x) of SnO<jats:sub>x<\/jats:sub>, notable differences are observed in their light absorption, extinction coefficient, and reflectance. Among these, <jats:italic>Type-C<\/jats:italic> heterostructures demonstrate the highest absorption coefficient (~1.8\u2009\u00d7\u200910\u2075 cm\u2009\u207b\u2009\u00b9), indicating strong potential for UV and visible light applications. Building upon the optimized <jats:italic>Type-C<\/jats:italic> SnO<jats:sub>x<\/jats:sub>\/GO heterostructure, we further examine the effect of varying concentrations of methane molecules adsorbed on its surface. This leads to the classification of four additional heterostructure types- <jats:italic>Type-I<\/jats:italic> to <jats:italic>Type-IV<\/jats:italic> which are based on the methane molecules concentration adsorbed on the surface of an optimized SnO<jats:sub>x<\/jats:sub>\/GO heterostructure. The interaction with methane further modulates the optoelectronic properties of heterostructure, with <jats:italic>Type-II<\/jats:italic> heterostructures demonstrating the highest extinction coefficient (~8.0 at 1000\u2009nm) and strong near-infrared absorption. In contrast, <jats:italic>Type-IV<\/jats:italic> structures, characterized by the highest methane concentration, show a significant increase in reflectance (~0.85) and a reduction in absorption. Additionally, an energy distribution analysis of various atmospheric gases, such as CH\u2084, H\u2082O, and CO\u2082 were conducted to evaluate the selectivity of SnO<jats:sub>x<\/jats:sub>\/GO heterostructure based sensors. The aim was to ensure minimal interference from other ambient gases. The analysis revealed that CH\u2084 exhibits a more negative energy state, indicating higher stability and a greater affinity for adsorption on the sensor surface compared to the other atmospheric gases. This stabilization highlights the interaction dynamics of the material, reinforcing its potential for diverse applications, including UV absorption, infrared transparency, and trace methane detection. Overall, these findings establish SnO<jats:sub>x<\/jats:sub>\/GO heterostructures, particularly the <jats:italic>Type-C<\/jats:italic> variant with an optimal oxygen mole fraction (x), as promising candidates for advanced optical and methane gas-sensing technologies.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.1371\/journal.pone.0326657","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2025,7,3]],"date-time":"2025-07-03T17:36:38Z","timestamp":1751564198000},"page":"e0326657","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1371\/journal.pone.corrections_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["Investigating SnOx\/Graphene Oxide heterostructure for methane sensing and its application as a tunable light absorber for optoelectronic devices"],"prefix":"10.1371","volume":"20","author":[{"given":"Manoj","family":"Kumar","sequence":"first","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Purnendu Shekhar","family":"Pandey","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"M. Sudhakara","family":"Reddy","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Anita","family":"Gehlot","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Santosh Kumar","family":"Choudhary","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-3765-9071","authenticated-orcid":true,"given":"Gyanendra 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