Silicon carbide based nanocomposite of polythiophene with high thermally stable DC electrical conduction and ethanol sensing

Abstract

Here in this work, we are reporting thermally stable DC electrical conductivity of silicon carbide nanocomposite with polythiophene and its sensing behavior towards ethanol. Polythiophene (PTh) and Polythiophene/SiC (PTh/SiC) nanocomposite were synthesized by in-situ process of polymerization via oxidation route using CTAB (cetyltrimethylammonium bromide) as a surfactant and characterized by X-rays diffraction (XRD), Fourier transforms infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and Transmittance electron microscopy (TEM) analysis. Stability of DC electrical conductivity of PTh and PTh/SiC nanocomposite were examined at different temperature ranges from 50 °C to 130 °C in isothermal and cyclic conditions. PTh/SiC nanocomposite showed high steadiness of DC electrical conductivity than that of PTh in different thermal ageing conditions. Sensing behavior of PTh/SiC nanocomposite towards 1 M ethanol was recognized as steady with time and reversible in cyclic process.