Polypyrrole (PPy) in globular form and as nanotubes were prepared by the oxidation of pyrrole with iron(III) chloride in the absence and presence of methyl orange, respectively. They were subsequently converted to nitrogen-containing carbons at 650 °C in an inert atmosphere. The course of carbonization was followed by thermogravimetric analysis and the accompanying changes in molecular structure by Fourier Transform Infrared and Raman spectroscopies. Both the original and carbonized materials have been tested in sensing of polar and non-polar organic vapors. The resistivity of sensing element using globular PPy was too high and only nanotubular PPy could be used. The sensitivity of the PPy nanotubes to ethanol vapors was nearly on the same level as that of their carbonized analogs (i.e., ~18% and 24%, respectively). Surprisingly, there was a high sensitivity of PPy nanotubes to the n-heptane vapors (~110%), while that of their carbonized analog remained at ~20%. The recovery process was significantly faster for carbonized PPy nanotubes (in order of seconds) compared with 10 s of seconds for original nanotubes, respectively, due to higher specific surface area after carbonization.
Keywords: carbon nanotube; carbonization; functionalized nanotube; heptane detection; polypyrrole nanotube.