Abstract
In the present study, we report on a simple optical method based on thin film interferometry for the swelling evaluation in polymer nanocomposite layers used for gas sensing applications. We show that white light interferometry can be profitably applied to characterize scattering materials such as polymer/carbon black nanocomposites. A properly adjusted experimental setup was implemented to monitor the swelling behavior of the sensitive films in real device operating conditions. In particular, the behavior of poly(2‐hydroxyethyl methacrylate) (PHEMA) and of carbon black/PHEMA nanocomposite layers, used for volatile organic compounds (VOCs) detection, was investigated and measured under ethanol vapors exposure (max 1%). The method is very sensitive and the swelling in the range of only few nanometers can be measured. Interestingly, we have found that the nanocomposite undergoes a more pronounced swelling process with respect to pristine polymer. Ethanol diffusion coefficients in the nanocomposite were evaluated.
Highlights
Polymer films and their nanocomposites embedded in polymer matrix are well known to be sensitive to different analytes and are extensively used in sensing application where their different transduction properties are exploited
Polymer nanocomposite-based chemical sensors work on the basis of a change of their electrical properties when they come into contact with a specific substance
The poly(2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate) (PHEMA) series of samples were prepared by dissolving the polymer (4 wt%) in hexafluor-2-propanol (HFiP), while the PHEMA/CB layers were obtained by dispersing carbon black Pearls 2000 (CABOT Corporation) (5.5 wt% with respect to polymer) in the PHEMA (1 wt%)/HFiP solution
Summary
Anna De Girolamo Del Mauro, Angelica Immacolata Grimaldi, Vera La Ferrara, Ettore Massera, Maria Lucia Miglietta, Tiziana Polichetti, and Girolamo Di Francia. We report on a simple optical method based on thin film interferometry for the swelling evaluation in polymer nanocomposite layers used for gas sensing applications. We show that white light interferometry can be profitably applied to characterize scattering materials such as polymer/carbon black nanocomposites. A properly adjusted experimental setup was implemented to monitor the swelling behavior of the sensitive films in real device operating conditions. The behavior of poly(2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate) (PHEMA) and of carbon black/PHEMA nanocomposite layers, used for volatile organic compounds (VOCs) detection, was investigated and measured under ethanol vapors exposure (max 1%). The method is very sensitive and the swelling in the range of only few nanometers can be measured. Ethanol diffusion coefficients in the nanocomposite were evaluated
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