Ammonia sensing properties of different polyaniline-based composite nanofibres

Polyamide 6 (PA6), polyacrylonitrile (PAN) and cellulose acetate (CA) have been prepared by electrospinning. Electrospun CA nanofibres are deacetylated to obtain cellulose nanofibres. Polyaniline (PANI)-based composite nanofibres have been prepared by in situ polymerization of aniline with the electrospun PA6, PAN and cellulose nanofibres separately. Structural and chemical examinations of the prepared composite nanofibres are conducted by scanning electron microscope and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. The sensing properties of the PANI-based composite nanofibres to ammonia are evaluated by a home-made sensor test system. It is found that PA6/PANI, PAN/PANI and cellulose/PANI composite nanofibres respond to ammonia. Cellulose/PANI composite nanofibres show the best ammonia sensing properties among them, whose response to 250 ppm ammonia is found to be 2.70, followed by PA6/PANI (1.52) and PAN/PANI’s (1.23)