Iron oxide and oxygen plasma functionalized multi-walled carbon nanotubes for the discrimination of volatile organic compounds

• Published in: Carbon (New York) Vol. 78; pp. 510 - 520
• Main Authors: CLEMENT, P, HAFAIEDH, I, PARRA, E. J, THAMRI, A, GUILLOT, J, ABDELGHANI, A, LLOBET, E
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Kidlington Elsevier 01-11-2014
• Subjects: Benzene; Carbon nanotubes; Cross-disciplinary physics: materials science; rheology; Ethyl alcohol; Exact sciences and technology; General equipment and techniques; Instruments, apparatus, components and techniques common to several branches of physics and astronomy; Iron oxides; Materials science; Multi wall carbon nanotubes; Nanocrystalline materials; Nanoscale materials and structures: fabrication and characterization; Nanotubes; Oxygen plasma; Physics; Sensors; Sensors (chemical, optical, electrical, movement, gas, etc.); remote sensing; Transducers; Volatile organic compounds; Aluminium oxide; Plasma; Oxygen; Iron oxide; Multiwalled nanotube; Ambient temperature; Benzene; Toluene; Carbon nanotubes; Volatile organic compound; Alumina; Nanostructured materials
• ISSN: 0008-6223; 1873-3891
• DOI: 10.1016/j.carbon.2014.07.032

Oxygen plasma functionalized multiwall carbon nanotubes and iron oxide decorated multiwall carbon nanotubes are studied for detecting volatile organic compounds (VOCs) at room temperature. Alumina substrates with interdigitated gold electrodes are employed as transducers and the air-brushing method is used to coat them with a thin film of the differently treated carbon nanotube samples. The electrical characterization of the sensors in the presence of benzene, toluene, acetone, methanol and ethanol vapors is camed out. The different treatments allow for tuning the response of carbon nanotubes and it is found that combining the responses of two sensors (i.e., one decorated with iron oxide and the other treated in an oxygen plasma) enables discriminating the aromatic hydrocarbons from the other VOCs tested. Additionally, discriminating benzene from toluene also appears to be possible. Sensors as the ones presented here, which are operated at room temperature, may led to a new generation of affordable, mass produced portable/wearable detectors with important applications in the selective detection of benzene.