Nanostructured films and nanofibers of low bandgap semiconducting polymers for application in gas sensors

Abstract

A growing concern in recent decades is the consequences of industrial activities on human health. Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) are a group of gases considered to be large air pollutants and originate from sources such as building materials, paints, and furniture. These compounds can generate symptoms such as dizziness, nausea, numbness in the fingers, and even a possible carcinogen, even in small amounts of exposure. To solve this problem, the production of sensor devices with materials highly sensitive to VOCs is favorable. In this project, two new polymers with low-bandgap values were recently synthesized for the fabrication of thin films through the techniques of Langmuir-Blodgett and Langmuir-Schaefer, and electrospun nanofibers and decorated as an active layer of sensor devices for the study of VOCs. The films and nanofibers will be characterized by optical absorption spectroscopy in UV-visible, Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), and electrical measurements in direct current (DC) and alternating current (AC). After these characterizations, the devices based on these films and nanofibers will be subjected to studies as gas sensors using electrical measurements, to compare the devices fabricated by the different techniques. The final objective of this work is a comparative study of the responses of the sensors obtained through DC measurements, to evaluate whether one method is more appropriate or equivalent to the other, at least for the set of sensors and gases that will be studied in this project. (AU)