Self-assembly polyaniline films for the high-performance ammonia gas sensor

• Published in: Sensors and actuators. B, Chemical Vol. 365; p. 131928
• Main Authors: Zhu, Chonghui, Xu, Yifeng, Zhou, Tingting, Liu, Lichao, Chen, Qidai, Gao, Bingrong, Zhang, Tong
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Lausanne Elsevier B.V 15-08-2022; Elsevier Science Ltd
• Subjects: Ammonia; Chemical synthesis; Conducting polymer; Electron transport; Gas sensors; Interfacial synthesis; Moisture effects; Moisture resistance; NH3 sensor; Polyaniline film; Polyanilines; Polymers; Protonation; Recovery time; Room temperature; Selectivity; Self-assembly; Sensors; Sodium dodecyl sulfate; Sodium dodecylbenzenesulfonate; Surfactant; Transport rate; NH3 sensor; Conducting polymer; Surfactant; Interfacial synthesis; Polyaniline film
• ISSN: 0925-4005; 1873-3077
• DOI: 10.1016/j.snb.2022.131928

Developing a sensor with high selectivity and fast response-recovery time for detecting ammonia gas in complex environments is a challenging task. However, recent polymer-based ammonia gas sensors often suffer from low sensitivity and long response-recovery time. In this work, with the assistance of sodium dodecyl benzene sulfonate (SDBS), sodium dodecyl sulfate(SDS), and lauryl amine (LA), the PANI films were prepared by interfacial synthesis to obtain the ordered polymer chains and applied to NH3 sensors. At room temperature, the SDS-functionalized PANI film-based sensor shows a good response to NH3 (5.4 for 40 ppm NH3), the detection limit is 0.1 ppm, and the recovery time is 12 s, which is better than that similar base on PANI. The functionalized PANI film has an ordered structure to accelerate the electron transport rate and the protonation/deprotonation properties, which make the sensor have excellent gas sensing performance. In addition, the sensor has good reproducibility, moisture resistance, and long-term stability. This result provides important opinions for realizing polymer materials with high gas-sensing properties to NH3.
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●The uniform PANI films functionalized with surfactants were prepared by the interface synthesis method.●The structure of the surfactants-functionalized PANI films is more regular to improves the movement of electrons.●The response of PANI film sensor is 5.24–40 ppm NH3, and the detection limit is as low as 0.1 ppm at room temperature.