Highly selective NH3 gas sensor based on polypyrrole/Ti3C2Tx nanocomposites operating at room temperature

Semiconducting nanomaterials with different sizes and shapes have wide applications in the field of electronics, and one of the key pathway to improve their performance is by recombination of different materials. In our innovative work, the nanocomposites of polypyrrole (PPy) and MXene were prepared by a simple in situ polymerization reaction. The samples were characterized by X-ray powder diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The samples were made into sensors, and the gas sensitivities of the materials were investigated under different test conditions. The results showed that the response value of PPy/MXene-12 sensor to 100 ppm ammonia at room temperature was 2.38 times than that of pure PPy and 6.38 times than that of pure MXene. In addition, the sensor has excellent selectivity and low detection limit, which demonstrate the excellent practicability of them in the field of Internet of Things (IoT).

Automated summary

Semiconducting nanomaterials with different sizes and shapes have wide applications in electronics. Recombination of different materials, such as the nanocomposites of polypyrrole (PPy) and MXene, can significantly improve their performance. In this study, PPy/MXene nanocomposites were prepared by a simple in situ polymerization reaction. The sensors made from these nanocomposites showed higher gas sensitivities to ammonia compared to pure PPy and MXene, with excellent selectivity and low detection limit. These findings demonstrate the practicality of PPy/MXene nanocomposites for Internet of Things (IoT) applications.