Conjugated Polymer/Nanoparticles Nanocomposites for High Efficient and Real-Time Volatile Organic Compounds Sensors

The present work demonstrates a high efficient and low cost volatile organic compounds (VOCs) sensor. Nowadays, VOCs, which are typically toxic, explosive, flammable, and an environmental hazard, are extensively used in R&D laboratories and industrial productions. Real-time and accurately monitoring the presence of harmful VOC during the usage, storage, or transport of VOCs is extremely important which protects humans and the environment from exposure in case of an accident and leakage of VOCs. The present work utilizes conducting polymer/nanoparticles blends to sense various VOCs by detecting the variation of optical properties. The novel sensor features high sensitivity, high accuracy, quick response, and very low cost. Furthermore, it is easy to fabricate into a sensing chip and can be equipped anywhere such as a laboratory or a factory where the VOCs are either used or produced and on each joint between transporting pipes or each switch of VOC storage tanks. Real-time sensing is achievable on the basis of the instant response to VOC concentrations of explosive limits. Therefore, an alarm can be delivered within a few minutes for in time remedies. This research starts from investigating fundamental properties, processing adjustments, and a performance test and finally extends to real device fabrication that practically performs the sensing capability. The demonstrated results significantly advance the current sensor technology and are promising in commercial validity in the near future for human and environmental safety concerns against hazardous VOCs

Detecting Minute Chemical Vapors via Chemical Interactions between Analyte and Fluorinated Thiophene–Isoindigo Conjugated Polymer Transistor

Detecting and discriminating chemical vapors are essential for environmental monitoring and medical diagnostics. In this study, highly sensitive chemical vapor sensors fabricated from fluorinated thiophene–isoindigo donor–acceptor conjugated polymers are realized through understanding the interaction of the fluorine functional group and different chemical vapors. The polymers possess the merits of facile synthesis for high quality materials, good field-effect transistor performance, and stability in air and humid environments. The transistor exhibits extremely high detecting capability for minute chemical vapor down to the ppb range. The detecting sensitivity of the transistor depends on the chemical structure of the polymer and the nature of analytes. Polar molecules such as amines with potential hydrogen bond donor can adsorb in close vicinity to conducting channels due to the formation of a hydrogen bond with fluorine atoms, enhancing the sensitivity significantly. Chemical vapors such as acetone and xylene interacting with the polymers via dipolar and van der Waals forces, respectively, have to accumulate sufficient amounts in the polymer films or at the dielectric interface. Through understanding functional group–analyte interactions, polymers can be designed for multiparameter sensing, paving ways toward ultrasensitive sensors and accurate discrimination of different kinds of chemical vapors