Influence of the Camphor Sulphonic Acid (CSA) Intercalation on the Micro-structural and Gas Sensing Properties of Polyaniline-CeO2 Nanohybrid for NH3 Gas Detection

摘要

Developing a high performance sensing materials operating at room temperature (30 degrees C) is eminently a challenging task. The facile chemical oxidative polymerization route was employed for the synthesis of PAni-CeO2 nanohybrids with CSA intercalation (10-50 wt %) on the chains of protonated PAni. The cubic crystal structure of PAni-CeO2-CSA nanohybrids were revealed by X-ray diffractometry (XRD). Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) were employed for the structural and morphological investigations. X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS) and Raman spectroscopy confirmed the formation of PAni-CeO2-CSA nanohybrid. The consequences of CSA intercalation on the gas sensing performance of PAni-CeO2 nanohybrids are explored through custom designed sensing system. The gas sensing investigations revealed that PAni-CeO2-CSA (50 wt %) nanohybrid exhibited highest response (93 %) towards 100 ppm NH3 at 30 degrees C. Advantageously, CSA intercalated PAni-CeO2 nanohybrid gas sensor delivered fast response and quick recovery (8 sec and 482 sec) with admirable stability (84.09 %) towards NH3 at 30 degrees C.