Development of VOCs Gas Sensor Using PANi/PMMA Blend Film for Environment Monitoring

Abstract

This work presents development of chemiresistor gas sensor based on polyaniline (PANi) blending with poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) thin film for identification of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) relevant to environmental monitoring. The investigated VOCs are including acetone, methanol, ethanol and ammonia. The gas sensors are prepared by solution mixing between non-conducting form of PANi and PMMA in presence of NMP solution. The mixed solution is spun on aluminum interdigitated electrodes and converted into conducting form using HCl doping. Their sensitivity is measured at room temperature by applying constant voltage and measuring response current in the presence of target gases. The results show that PANi/PMMA blend film has higher surface roughness and porous structure leading to higher response to VOCs gases when compared to pure PANi thin film. The PANi/PMMA blend film exhibits the highest response to ammonia and the lowest to acetone vapor. It response shows little different between ethanol and acetone vapor. The different response characteristics to VOCs of PANi/PMMA blend film indicate that it can be used as active layer for room temperature VOCs sensor.