To obtain organic nanowire sensors with high sensitivity and rapid response times, based on the inducement effect of surfactants during in situ polymerization, nanostructured polyaniline composites are obtained by using a chemical oxidation method by adding a small amount of surfactant. A casting method is employed on interdigitated carbon electrodes. The gas sensitivity to a series of chemical vapors is examined at room temperature. The results indicate that polyaniline with regular nanowire structure is obtained when succinic acid is added. The gas sensitivity and response rates of a film with nanowire structure are much better than those of conventional polyaniline films produced by means of organic solution spin coating methods. The film described in this work shows good selectivity to trimethylamine and other related gases and, the reaction being reversible with the use of high-purity nitrogen.
Sensitive, selective and fast detection of chemical warfare agents is necessary for anti-terrorism purposes. In our search for functional materials sensitive to dimethyl methylphosphonate (DMMP), a simulant of sarin and other toxic organophosphorus compounds, we found that zinc oxide (ZnO) modification potentially enhances the absorption of DMMP on a manganese dioxide (MnO2) surface. The adsorption behavior of DMMP was evaluated through the detection of tiny organophosphonate compounds with quartz crystal microbalance (QCM) sensors coated with ZnO-modified MnO2 nanofibers and pure MnO2 nanofibers. Experimental results indicated that the QCM sensor coated with ZnO-modified nanostructured MnO2 film exhibited much higher sensitivity and better selectivity in comparison with the one coated with pure MnO2 nanofiber film. Therefore, the DMMP sensor developed with this composite nanostructured material should possess excellent selectivity and reasonable sensitivity towards the tiny gaseous DMMP species.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.