Highly Sensitive and Selective Formaldehyde Gas Sensors Based on Polyvinylpyrrolidone/Nitrogen-Doped Double-Walled Carbon Nanotubes

Author(s)

Thanattha Chobsilp, Thotsaphon Threrujirapapong, Visittapong Yordsri, Alongkot Treetong, Saowaluk Inpaeng, Karaked Tedsree, Paola Ayala, Thomas Pichler, Lei Shi, Worawut Muangrat

Abstract

A highly sensitive and selective formaldehyde sensor was successfully fabricated using hybrid materials of nitrogen-doped double-walled carbon nanotubes (N-DWCNTs) and polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP). Double-walled carbon nanotubes (DWCNTs) and N-DWCNTs were produced by high-vacuum chemical vapor deposition using ethanol and benzylamine, respectively. Purified DWCNTs and N-DWCNTs were dropped separately onto the sensing substrate. PVP was then dropped onto pre-dropped DWCNT and N-DWCNTs (hereafter referred to as PVP/DWCNTs and PVP/N-DWCNTs, respectively). As-fabricated sensors were used to find 1,2-dichloroethane, dichloromethane, formaldehyde and toluene vapors in parts per million (ppm) at room temperature for detection measurement. The sensor response of N-DWCNTs, PVP/DWCNTs and PVP/N-DWCNTs sensors show a high response to formaldehyde but a low response to 1,2-dichloroethane, dichloromethane and toluene. Remarkably, PVP/N-DWCNTs sensors respond sensitively and selectively towards formaldehyde vapor, which is 15 times higher than when using DWCNTs sensors. This improvement could be attributed to the synergistic effect of the polymer swelling and nitrogen-sites in the N-DWCNTs. The limit of detection (LOD) of PVP/N-DWCNTs was 15 ppm, which is 34-fold higher than when using DWCNTs with a LOD of 506 ppm. This study demonstrated the high sensitivity and selectivity for formaldehyde-sensing applications of high-performance PVP/N-DWCNTs hybrid materials.

Organisation(s)

Electronic Properties of Materials

External organisation(s)

Burapha University, King Mongkut's University of Technology Thonburi, National Metal and Materials Technology Center (MTEC), National Science and Technology Development Agency, Sun Yat-sen University

Journal

Sensors

Volume

22

No. of pages

10

ISSN

1424-8220

DOI

https://doi.org/10.3390/s22239329

Publication date

12-2022

Peer reviewed

Yes

Austrian Fields of Science 2012

103018 Materials physics

Keywords

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Analytical Chemistry, Information Systems, Instrumentation, Atomic and Molecular Physics, and Optics, Electrical and Electronic Engineering, Biochemistry

Portal url

https://ucris.univie.ac.at/portal/en/publications/highly-sensitive-and-selective-formaldehyde-gas-sensors-based-on-polyvinylpyrrolidonenitrogendoped-doublewalled-carbon-nanotubes(9e6b150c-d22f-45e4-b47a-2942b68d19bf).html