Chemical Vapour Sensing Properties Of Electrospun Nanofibers Of Polyaniline/ ZnO Nanocomposites

Zinc oxide (ZnO) nanoparticles were synthesized by simple route of sol-gel method and nanofibers of polyaniline (PANI) and PANI/ZnO nanocomposites prepared using the electrospinning technique. Electrospun nanofibers of PANI and PANI/ZnO nanocomposites were collected on aluminum substrate for characterization and on Cu-interdigited electrodes to prepare chemiresistor sensor. Electrospun nanofibers of PANI and PANI/ZnO nanocomposites have been characterized by UV-Visible (UV-Vis), Fourier transform infrared (FTIR), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM). UV-Visible spectra of nanofibers of PANI/ZnO nanocomposites show hypsochromic shift as that of PANI and some interaction due to ZnO in PANI matrix. The observed changes in the FTIR spectra of the fibers of PANI/ZnO nanocomposites are assosciated with the formation of H-bonding between ZnO and the N-H group present in the PANI chains. X-ray diffraction patterns exhibits hexagonal wurtzite structure of ZnO and broad