Abstract
Nanocomposites of polyaniline (PANi) and tin oxide (SnO2) were prepared by adding SnO2 nanoparticles (NPs) in different weight ratios (0%–50%) into the PANi matrix. X-ray diffraction (XRD), field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) were used to form the polyaniline-SnO2 nanocomposites (PANi-SnO2) — a polymer-composite. PANi films modified with SnO2NPs were prepared by the spin coating method. The gas sensing properties of PANi, SnO2 and PANi-SnO2 polymercomposite films were observed and it was found that: The response of PANi film to 100 ppm NH3 at room temperature was 30% (stability 58%). The response of SnO2 film to 100 ppm NO2 was 19% (stability 79%) at operating temperature 200°C, which is higher than the room temperature. However, SnO2 exhibited no response to NO2 and NH3 at room temperature. The properties of the polymer-composite as a gas sensor were studied for various reducing (CH3OH, C2H5OH, NH3, H2S) as well as oxidising (NO2 and Cl2) gases. We demonstrated that the PANi-SnO2 (50%) polymer-composite film offers high stability and reproducibility and is a superior sensor to toxic gases operating at room temperature. (Results showed that they are highly selective to NH3 along with maximum response − 72% to 100 ppm, fast-response time of 167 s and better stability − 86% at room temperature. The unique nanostructure of this polymer composite with its high surface area offers these advantages.
Published Version
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