Ammonia sensing properties of (SnO2–ZnO)/polypyrrole coaxial nanocables

Abstract

In this work, (SnO2–ZnO)/polypyrrole (PPy) coaxial nanocables have been synthesized through simple chemical routes. The SnO2–ZnO composite nanofibers with narrow distribution of diameter size and an average of 75 nm were synthesized via the electrospinning method. In this experiment, we were able to polymerize a shell of PPy, as a typical conducting polymer, on surface of SnO2–ZnO nanofibers using the vapor-phase polymerization of Pyrrole monomer. The prepared nanomaterial exhibits a linear response to Ammonia (NH3) concentrations at room temperature. The obtained results make NH3 detection and determination of its concentration feasible. The superior features of this nanomaterial include simple synthesis method, high sensitivity, and quick response and recovery times. The aforementioned characteristics of this nanomaterial indicate the potential of industrial applications.