Effect of different titania phases on the hydrogen gas sensing features of polyaniline/TiO2 nanocomposite

This paper presents a resistance-based hydrogen gas sensor using polyaniline (emeraldine)/TiO2 nanocomposite (PT-NC) thin film. It is demonstrated that different gas sensing features can arise when various TiO2 phases (anatase and rutile) are applied. The different wt% of TiO2 phases were dispersed into an acidic solution of aniline monomers and PT-NCs were synthesized by an in-situ self-assembly chemical oxidative polymerization method of aniline. PT-NCs deposited on an epoxy glass substrate having Cu-interdigited electrodes for hydrogen gas sensing at air pressure and room temperature. Our results show that the better sensitivity of the sensor strongly depends on the sensor surface morphology and its components. Furthermore, hydrogen gas sensing mechanism of the sensor based contact areas between Pani chains and TiO2 grains was studied. (C) 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.