Volume 60, Issue 28 pp. 15328-15334
Communication

An Ion-In-Conjugation-Boosted Organic Semiconductor Gas Sensor Operating at High Temperature and Immune to Moisture

Chuang Yu

Chuang Yu

College of Chemistry, Chemical Engineering and Materials Science, Collaborative Innovation Centre of Suzhou Nano Science and Technology, National United Engineering Laboratory of, Functionalized Environmental Adsorption Materials, Soochow University, Suzhou, 215123 P. R. China

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Jing-Hui He

Jing-Hui He

College of Chemistry, Chemical Engineering and Materials Science, Collaborative Innovation Centre of Suzhou Nano Science and Technology, National United Engineering Laboratory of, Functionalized Environmental Adsorption Materials, Soochow University, Suzhou, 215123 P. R. China

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Xue-Feng Cheng

Xue-Feng Cheng

College of Chemistry, Chemical Engineering and Materials Science, Collaborative Innovation Centre of Suzhou Nano Science and Technology, National United Engineering Laboratory of, Functionalized Environmental Adsorption Materials, Soochow University, Suzhou, 215123 P. R. China

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Hong-Zhen Lin

Hong-Zhen Lin

Department i-LAB, Suzhou Institute of Nano-Tech and Nano-Bionics (SINANO), Chinese Academy of Sciences, Suzhou, 215123 P. R. China

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Haitao Yu

Haitao Yu

State Key Laboratory of Transducer Technology, Shanghai Institute of Microsystem and Information Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 865 Changning Road, Shanghai, 200050 China

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Jian-Mei Lu

Corresponding Author

Jian-Mei Lu

College of Chemistry, Chemical Engineering and Materials Science, Collaborative Innovation Centre of Suzhou Nano Science and Technology, National United Engineering Laboratory of, Functionalized Environmental Adsorption Materials, Soochow University, Suzhou, 215123 P. R. China

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First published: 22 April 2021
Citations: 15

Graphical Abstract

A robust NO2 sensor device based on an ion-in-conjugation structure maintained its performance at high temperature, which counteracted the effects of humidity (see picture; NO2 blue/red, H2O green/yellow). Charge transfer between NO2 and the chemiresistor was more efficient at 100 °C than at room temperature. The fabricated sensor had a parts-per-billion (ppb) NO2 detection limit and showed the highest sensitivity of all reported NO2 chemiresistive sensors.

Abstract

Organic electrical gas sensors have been developed for many decades because of their high sensitivity and selectivity. However, their industrialization is severely hindered by their intrinsic humidity susceptibility and poor recovery. Conventional organic sensory materials can only operate at room temperature owing to their weak intermolecular interactions. Herein, we demonstrate using a croconate polymer (poly-4,4′-biphenylcroconate) that the “ion-in-conjugation” concept enables organic gas sensors to operate at 100 °C and 70 % relative humidity with almost complete recovery. The fabricated sensor had a parts-per-billion (ppb) detection limit for NO2 and showed the highest sensitivity (2526 ppm−1 at 40 ppb) of all reported NO2 chemiresistive sensors. Furthermore, charge transfer increased with temperature. Theoretical calculations and in situ FTIR spectra confirmed the ion-in-conjugation-inspired hydrogen bond as key for excellent sensitivity. A NO2 alarm system was assembled to demonstrate the feasibility of this sensor.

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