Highly Sensitive and Selective Chemiresistor Gas/Vapor Sensors Based on Polyaniline Nanocomposite: a Comprehensive Review
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Journal of Science: Advanced Materials and Devices 1 (2016) 431e453 Contents lists available at ScienceDirect Journal of Science: Advanced Materials and Devices journal homepage: www.elsevier.com/locate/jsamd Review Article Highly sensitive and selective chemiresistor gas/vapor sensors based on polyaniline nanocomposite: A comprehensive review * Sadanand Pandey a, b, a Department of Applied Chemistry, University of Johannesburg, P.O. Box 17011, Doornfontien 2028, Johannesburg, South Africa b Centre for Nanomaterials Science Research, University of Johannesburg, South Africa article info abstract Article history: This review article directs particular attention to some current breakthrough developments in the area of Received 17 September 2016 gas sensors based on polyaniline (PANI) nanocomposite. Conducting polymers symbolize a paramount Received in revised form class of organic materials that boost the resistivity towards external stimuli. Nevertheless, PANI-based 11 October 2016 sensor experiences some disadvantages of relatively low reproducibility, selectivity, and stability. In Accepted 12 October 2016 order to overcome these restrictions, PANI was functionalised or incorporated with nanoparticles (NPs) Available online 18 October 2016 (metallic or bimetallic NPs, metal oxide NPs), carbon compounds (like CNT or graphene, chalcogenides, polymers), showing improved gas sensing characteristics. It has been suggested that hosteguest Keywords: Gas sensors chemistry combined with the utilization of organic and inorganic analog in nanocomposite may allow for Polyaniline improvement of the sensor performance due to synergetic/complementary effects. Herein, we summa- Sensitivity rize recent advantages in PANI nanocomposite preparation, sensor construction, and sensing properties Chemiresistive response of various PANI nanocomposite-based gas/vapor sensors, such as NH3,H2, HCl, NO2,H2S, CO, CO2,SO2, Metal oxide nanoparticles LPG, vapor of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) as well as chemical warfare agents (CWAs). The sensing Explosive mechanisms are discussed. Existing problems that may hinder practical applications of the sensors are Chemical warfare agents also discussed. © 2016 The Author. Publishing services by Elsevier B.V. on behalf of Vietnam National University, Hanoi. This is an open access article under the CC BY license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). 1. Introduction (PEDOT), polypyrrole (PPy), polythiophenes (PTs), etc.] of coveted functionality and conductivity keep on improving gas detecting Quickly expanding ecological pollution has been perceived as a performance [9e11]. Although they are sometime found to be un- paramount concern, and its monitoring has turned into a prime stable and show relatively poor sensitivity [12] due to the huge concern for human wellbeing. Advancement of gas detecting affinity of conducting polymers towards volatile organic com- gadget is the earnest requirement for miniaturized, reliable, low- pounds (VOCs) and moisture present in the environment. Gas cost, compact electronic sensor procedures for a wide scope of sensors using inorganic metal oxides, such as tungsten oxide, zinc uses, for example, air quality monitoring, medical diagnostics, oxide, tin oxide, titanium oxide, iron oxide, silicon oxide, etc., show control of food quality or safety of industrial processes and enhanced detecting qualities because of changing oxygen stoichi- homemade security system [1e8]. ometry and electrically active surface charge [13,14]. However, Gas sensors are essentially made up of two types, which are these sensors work at high temperatures (~300e400 C), regularly based on (i) organic conducting polymers and (ii) inorganic metal prompting to baseline drift and oxidation of analytes [15]. The oxides. Gas sensors using organic conducting polymers [for operation of these devices at elevated temperatures causes gradual example, polyaniline (PANI), poly (3,4-ethylene-dioxythiophene) changes in the properties of the metal oxide nanostructures. The high-temperature operation can cause fusion of grain boundaries, which can avert the stability of the nanostructure and shorten the lifetime of the sensing device. In addition, the operation of such * Department of Applied Chemistry, University of Johannesburg, P.O. Box 17011, devices at elevated temperatures requires a distinct temperature Doornfontien 2028, Johannesburg, South Africa. E-mail addresses: [email protected], [email protected], sadanand.au@ controlled complex heating assembly and consumes extra power gmail.com. for heating purposes. Though possessing high sensitivity, the Peer review under responsibility of Vietnam National University, Hanoi. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jsamd.2016.10.005 2468-2179/© 2016 The Author. Publishing services by Elsevier B.V. on behalf of Vietnam National University, Hanoi. This is an open access article under the CC BY license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). 432 S. Pandey / Journal of Science: Advanced Materials and Devices 1 (2016) 431e453 utilization of such sensors for certain applications is exceptionally In a previous couple of years, different types of sensor have been restricted. being developed using conducting polymers in different trans- The shortcomings of organic materials, such as low conduc- duction modes. They are the potentiometric mode, the ampero- tivity and poor stability, and of inorganic materials, such as the metric mode, the colorimetric mode, the gravimetric mode and the need for operation at high-temperature and sophisticated pro- conductometric mode. In this review, we will consider exclusively cessability forestall them in gas sensor fabrication. In this context, the conductometric mode, where the gas detection is through the the use of a nanocomposite composed of these two types of ma- change of the electrical conductivity of the conducting polymer. terials may promote effective gas sensing peculiarity and allow the The change of the electrical conductivity can result from charge- sensor to be operational at low temperature. In the present article, transfer with gas molecules or the mass change due to the phys- we are specifically focusing on nanocomposites based on con- ical adsorption of the gas molecules. ducting polymer (PANI). PANI, which is a well-known conducting This review focuses on PANI-based nanocomposite gas/vapor polymer, plays a major role in gas sensing applications due to the sensors for environmental monitoring. Fig. 2 illustrates the PANI- ease of synthesis and its potential to detect various gasses [16]. based nanocomposite used to detect a wide range of gases and PANI can exist in two different emeraldine classes of compounds, vapors. À where the insulating emerald base form (s ~10 5 S/cm) can be converted into metallic, emeraldine salt conducting form 2. PANI-based nanocomposite gas/vapor sensors (s < 1000 S/cm) by protonic acid doping process (Fig. 1) [17e21]. PANI structures, such as nanowires (NWs) and nanoparticles PANI-based nanocomposite has shown excellent sensing (NPs) were suggested to strengthen the response time of the sensor response to NH3,H2, HCl, NO2,H2S, CO, CO2,SO2, LPG, and volatile by increasing the surface-to-volume ratio. But PANI-based sensor organic compounds (VOCs). Subsequently, some information from experiences some disadvantages (relatively low reproducibility, related works such as detection limit, sensing range, response time selectivity, and stability). In order to overcome these restrictions, (tres)/recovery time (trec), repeatability, and stability are likewise PANI was functionalised or incorporated with NPs (metallic or concisely and carefully posed and discussed. Efforts have been bimetallic NPs, metal oxide NPs), carbon compounds (CNT or gra- made to exploit these sensitivities in the development of new phene, chalcogenides, polymers). From the literature, it is clear that sensor technologies. Table 1 summarizes recent studies on diverse PANI nanocomposites containing inorganic NPs result in the PANI nanocomposites with possible applications as gas/vapor enhancement of gas sensitivity [22e24]. It has also been reported sensors. that the properties of PANI can be modified by NPs in two different ways. 2.1. PANI-based nanocomposite for ammonia (NH3) detection In the first place, n-type semiconducting NPs (e.g. WO3, TiO2, SnO2) may bring about the development of pen heterojunctions at Ammonia (NH3) is a colorless gas and water-soluble with a PANI/NPs interfaces [25]. Thus, depletion regions may appear at characteristic pungent smell. Inhalation of NH3 gas for longer PANI/TiO2 interfaces. Because of the low local density of charge time may cause various health-related issues, such as acute res- carriers, conductivity in depletion regions is generally poor. At the piratory conditions (laryngitis, tracheobronchitis, bronchiolitis, point, when PANI is influenced by deprotonating gas (e.g. NH3)a bronchopneumonia and pulmonary edema), strong irritating ef- width of depletion regions increases, which increases the sensor fect over our eyes, noses, mouths, lungs and throats, which can response. The second impact of NPs transfers on their catalytic further give rise to headache, vomiting, dyspnea, pneumonia- properties. Interaction amongst PANI and specific gas is encouraged edema and even death [29,30]. The Occupational Safety and by gas particles adsorbed on a NP surface. Distinctive nano- Health Administration (OSHA) have stipulated that the specified composite structures were proposed to include catalytic inorganic