Achieving a good life time in a vertical-organic-diode gas sensor

Sensors (Basel). 2014 Sep 2;14(9):16287-95. doi: 10.3390/s140916287.

Abstract

In this study, we investigate the keys to obtain a sensitive ammonia sensor with high air stability by using a low-cost polythiophene diode with a vertical channel and a porous top electrode. Poly(3-hexylthiophene) (P3HT) and air-stable poly(5,5'-bis(3-dodecyl-2-thienyl)-2,2'-bithiophene) (PQT-12) are both evaluated as the active sensing layer. Two-dimensional current simulation reveals that the proposed device exhibits numerous connected vertical nanometer junctions (VNJ). Due to the de-doping reaction between ammonia molecules and the bulk current flowing through the vertical channel, both PQT-12 and P3HT VNJ-diodes exhibit detection limits of 50-ppb ammonia. The P3HT VNJ-diode, however, becomes unstable after being stored in air for two days. On the contrary, the PQT-12 VNJ-diode keeps an almost unchanged response to 50-ppb ammonia after being stored in air for 25 days. The improved storage lifetime of an organic-semiconductor-based gas sensor in air is successfully demonstrated.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Ammonia / analysis*
  • Conductometry / instrumentation*
  • Equipment Design
  • Equipment Failure Analysis
  • Gases / analysis*
  • Organoselenium Compounds / chemistry*
  • Semiconductors*
  • Thiophenes / chemistry*
  • Transducers

Substances

  • Gases
  • Organoselenium Compounds
  • Thiophenes
  • poly(3-hexyl)selenophene
  • Ammonia