The Influence of Poly(3,4-Ethylenedioxythiophene) and Polyaniline Conductive Polymer Composition Ratio on Gas Detection for Different Gases

Abstract

This study investigated the morphology and gas sensing performance of conductive polymer nanocomposite films prepared in a poly(vinyl alcohol) matrix from pure poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene), pure polyaniline, and their blends at 30:70, 50:50 and 70:30 mass ratios. The flexible films, obtained by emulsion polymerization and solution casting, were characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and scanning electron microscopy. Structural analyses revealed strong intermolecular interactions between the polymer phases, with optimum surface homogeneity at the 50:50 ratio. In tests against carbon monoxide, ammonia and nitrogen dioxide, pure poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) films showed the fastest response and recovery times, whereas the 50:50 composite film, in which p-type/p-type heterojunction regions were activated at the interface, gave the highest voltage change (41%) toward ammonia. The results demonstrate that optimizing the composition ratio of conductive polymers is a highly effective strategy for improving sensitivity and signal quality in gas sensors.

Keywords

• PEDOT
• PANI
• Conductive polymers
• Gas sensor
• Nanocomposite

Ethical Statement

Ethics committee approval was not required for this study because there was no study on animals or humans.

Thanks

This study was prepared as part of Faruk ÇELİK’s master’s thesis.

References

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