Room Temperature Gas Sensing Properties of Polyaniline/ZnO Nanocomposite Thin Films

Polyaniline (PANI)/zinc oxide (ZnO) solutions were synthesized by chemical oxidative polymerization of aniline in the presence of different mass ratios of zinc oxide powder. After purification, the polyaniline/ZnO composites were dispersed in water and deposited on top of glass substrates using spin coating system. Structural, optical and morphological analysis of PANI and polyaniline/ZnO nanocomposite thin films were carried out using XRD pattern analysis, UV-Vis spectroscopy, FTIR spectroscopy, and FESEM. FESEM images confirm the formation of nanofibers. The room temperature response of the prepared samples toward various concentrations of ammonia vapor was measured by conductometric method. Results showed that all samples have excellent response toward the target gas. The response of samples for PANI and PANI/ZnO with 1.0 and 1.5 mass ratio of ZnO in aniline as precursor, toward 100 ppm of ammonia gas, was 101, 288 and 677, respectively.