Polyaniline–nylon 6 composite fabric for ammonia gas sensor

Abstract

Abstract Conducting polymers constitute a new class of sensing materials, which can be prepared by a simple oxidative polymerization method. An ammonia gas sensor was prepared by polymerizing aniline on the surface of nylon 6 fabrics and doped with various acids in this study. The fabricated polyaniline (PANI)–nylon 6 composite fabrics showed high sensitivity and fast response for NH 3 gas. In particular, the PANI–nylon 6 composite fabrics doped by monocarboxylic acids (such as formic acid, acrylic acid, and trichloroacetic acid) displayed excellent sensitivity and fast response. Moreover, no significant changes in the T m and crystallinity were found in these composite fabrics. Hence the PANI–nylon 6 composite fabrics are attractive alternatives for use in sensing applications because of their excellent sensing ability, low cost, and ease of preparation. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 92: 37–42, 2004