Electrical and Humidity-Sensing Properties of Impedance-Type Humidity Sensors that Were Made of Ag Microwires/PPy/SnO₂ Ternary Composites

Abstract

Impedance-type humidity sensors were fabricated via one-step UV-irradiation photopolymerization of Ag microwires (Ag MWs), polypyrrole (PPy) and SnO2 ternary composite (Ag MWs/PPy/SnO2) films on an alumina substrate. X-ray diffractometry (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) coupled with an energy dispersive X-ray (EDX) elemental mapping were used to analyze the morphology, structure, and composition of Ag MWs/PPy/SnO2 ternary composite films. Microstructural observations revealed that the Ag MWs were embedded, and PPy formed on the surface of the Ag MWs/PPy/SnO2 ternary composite film. The effects of the addition amounts of loading of Ag and PPy on the electrical and humidity-sensing properties of the Ag MWs/PPy/SnO2 ternary composite films were investigated. The impedance-type humidity sensor based on Ag MWs/PPy/SnO2 ternary composite film containing 6 mg of Ag and 0.1 g of PPy had the highest sensitivity and an acceptable linearity over the RH ranged from 10% to 90% RH, a low hysteresis, a fast response time, and long-term stability. This technique is useful for practical application because its fast and ease of fabrication. The ions (H3O+) that dominate the impedance changed with relative humidity (RH) for the humidity sensor that based on Ag MWs/PPy/SnO2 ternary composite film was analyzed using complex impedance spectra.

Keywords

• humidity sensor
• Ag microwires
• polypyrrole (PPy)
• SnO₂
• ternary composite