Sensors (Apr 2020)

Tunable Chemical Grafting of Three-Dimensional Poly (3, 4-ethylenedioxythiophene)/Poly (4-styrenesulfonate)-Multiwalled Carbon Nanotubes Composite with Faster Charge-Carrier Transport for Enhanced Gas Sensing Performance

  • Hyojae Kim,
  • Yeongseok Jang,
  • Gyeong Won Lee,
  • Seung Yun Yang,
  • Jinmu Jung,
  • Jonghyun Oh

DOI
https://doi.org/10.3390/s20092470
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 20, no. 9
p. 2470

Abstract

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The three-dimensional volumetric application of conductive poly (3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene)/poly (4-styrenesulfonate) (PEDOT:PSS) to multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) has not been widely reported. In this study, the applicability of the 3D PEDOT:PSS-MWCNT composite for a gas sensor was investigated with different PEDOT:PSS concentrations. The gas-sensing performance of the 3D PEDOT:PSS-MWCNT composites was investigated using ethanol and carbon monoxide (CO) gas. Overall, in comparison with the pristine MWCNTs, as the PEDOT:PSS concentration increased, the 3D PEDOT:PSS-MWCNT composites exhibited increased conductivity and enhanced gas sensing performances (fast response and recovery times) to both ethanol and CO gases. Importantly, although the PEDOT:PSS coating layer reduced the number of sites for the adsorption and desorption of gas molecules, the charge-carrier transport between the gas molecules and MWCNTs was significantly enhanced. Thus, PEDOT:PSS can be chemically grafted to MWCNTs to enhance the connectivity and conductivity of a 3D network, leading to possible applications in gas sensors.

Keywords