Collect. Czech. Chem. Commun. 2003, 68, 1736-1744
https://doi.org/10.1135/cccc20031736

A Methane Sensor Based on Poly[3',4'-dihexyl-4,4''-bis(pentyloxy)-2,2':5',2''-terthiophene]

Giuseppe Casalbore-Micelia,*, Alberto Zanellia, Alessandro Geria and Maria C. Gallazzib

a Istituto per la Sintesi Organica e la Fotoreattivita, Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, Via P. Gobetti 101, 40129 Bologna, Italy
b Dipartimento di Chimica, Materiali e Ingegneria Chimica "Giulio Natta", Politecnico di Milano, Piazza L. da Vinci 32, 20133 Milano, Italy

Abstract

3',4'-Dihexyl-4,4''-bis(pentyloxy)-2,2':5',2''-terthiophene was electrochemically polymerized on gold interdigitated electrodes to investigate the impedance variation of the polymer in the exposure to air/methane atmospheres. The higher sensitivity of poly[3',4'-dihexyl-4,4''-bis(pentyloxy)2,2';5',2''-terthiophene] (PHPT) to methane was observed at frequencies of about 100 Hz. The PHPT impedance decreases when the CH4 concentration increases and shows the highest sensitivity at the lowest methane concentrations. After each concentration step, the impedance decreased as the square root of time indicating that the response time of the PHPT-based sensor was controlled by diffusion of the gas into the material. It is suggested that the absorption of methane into the polymer film affects the rate of interchain charge hopping.

Keywords: Conducting polymers; Methane sensors; Impedance spectroscopy; Poly(alkylalkoxythiophene).

References: 7 live references.