Selective and sensitive chemiresistive sensors based on polyaniline/graphene oxide nanocomposite: A cost-effective approach

Abstract In this work, the influence of Graphene oxide (GO) on the sensing performance of Polyaniline (PANI) toward NH3 and CO gases at room temperature (RT) was comprehensively studied. The PANI/GO nanocomposite was synthesized by the “in-situ chemical oxidation polymerization” route in the presence of GO. The optical, spectroscopic and structural properties of as-prepared materials were studied through UV–vis, FTIR, RAMAN spectroscopies and XRD. Additionally, the topological investigations of materials were carried out by Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM). The sensors were fabricated via drop-casting of the pure PANI and PANI/GO nanocomposite on a low-cost pattern of Cu interdigitated electrodes (IDE). The sensors based on the PANI/GO nanocomposite exhibited a better-sensing performance for NH3 than those of bare PANI. The present finding indicates that the PANI/GO-based sensor exhibits high response (9.6%–70 ppm), fast recovery time (23 s), low detection limit (30 ppm) and linear dynamic range (30–230 ppm) with excellent repeatability, reproducibility, long-term stability and exceptional selectivity for NH3 sensing. Thus, the PANI/GO-based sensor has a high potential for high-performance sensing applications.