Polyaniline/(Ta2O5–SnO2) hybrid nanocomposite for efficient room temperature CO gas sensing

Abstract

Development of efficient CO sensors that can detect low concentration CO at room temperature is of prime importance. Herein, we present a Ta₂O₅–SnO₂–PANI hybrid composite for the efficient sensing of CO at room temperature and at very low concentrations. The material was synthesized by the oxidative polymerization method. The structural and morphological characteristics of the nanostructured (Ta₂O₅–SnO₂)–PANI hybrid composite were examined using p-XRD and FESEM techniques. The oxygen vacancies in the material were confirmed by XPS analysis. The hybrid material exhibited superior CO sensing performance with high sensitivity, low operating temperature, and fast response and recovery time compared to the individual counterparts. The enhanced sensing ability of the hybrid material is accredited to the synergistic properties such as conductivity of PANI, improved oxygen vacancies and the heterostructure formed between the PANI and the (Ta₂O₅–SnO₂) composite. These remarkable features make TaSn : PANI a potential sensor at room temperature for sensing of low concentration CO.