Sensing element for detection of polar organic vapours on the base of polyaniline-composite: Effect of substrate surface area

Conductive polymer polyaniline (PANI) was synthesized by oxidative polymerization of aniline hydrochloride as a source of aniline and ammonium persulfate as an oxidation agent. The polymerization process is relatively easy and cheap. The reaction was carried out in presence of polymer substrate, in our case polyethylene terephthalate (PET) as a representative of smooth surface substrate and polyvinylidenfluoride (PVDF) nanofibers membrane as a representative of porous substrate. Both these substrates were covered by polyaniline (PANI) and used as a sensing element for organic vapors detection. The detection was made by measuring and the record of the change of resistivity during adsorption and desorption of saturated vapors. The result shows that sensitivity decreases with increasing polarity of chosen solvent in order N,N- Dimethylformamide (DMF), N,N-Dimethylacetamide (DMAc) and Dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO). The PANI base sensing element on PVDF substrate improves sensitivity, selectivity and it also has good reversibility and repeatability.