Study of Light-Activated Regioregular Poly(3-Hexyltiophene) Photoconductive Polymer Sensing Properties in Nerve Agent Simulant (DMMP) Detection†

Paulina Powroznik; Wiesław Jakubik; Agnieszka Stolarczyk; Anna Kazmierczak-Balata; Jaroslaw Wrotniak; Tomasz Jarosz

doi:10.3390/s20020491

Study of Light-Activated Regioregular Poly(3-Hexyltiophene) Photoconductive Polymer Sensing Properties in Nerve Agent Simulant (DMMP) Detection^†

Sensors (Basel). 2020 Jan 15;20(2):491. doi: 10.3390/s20020491.

Authors

Paulina Powroznik¹, Wiesław Jakubik¹, Agnieszka Stolarczyk², Anna Kazmierczak-Balata¹, Jaroslaw Wrotniak³, Tomasz Jarosz²

Affiliations

¹ Institute of Physics CSE, Silesian University of Technology, 44-100 Gliwice, Poland.
² Department of Physical Chemistry and Technology of Polymers, Silesian University of Technology, 44-100 Gliwice, Poland.
³ Institute of Electronics, Silesian University of Technology, 44-100 Gliwice, Poland.

Abstract

In the present work, we report the use of regioregular poly(3-hexyltiophene) polymer (RR-P3HT) as a potential light-activated material for sensing the chemical nerve agent simulant dimethyl methylphosphonate (DMMP). The electrical response of thick films of RR-P3HT, deposited by spray-coating method onto a porous laminate substrate at room temperature, to DMMP vapours was investigated. The studied material was activated by light-emitting diodes that emitted light of different wavelengths. The sensing properties of RR-P3HT are considerably enhanced upon exposure to blue and yellow light. However, excitation by the low wavelength light (blue) caused degeneration of the material, resulting in lowered stability. In the case of the yellow light, degeneration was much slower and the limit of detection was 0.4 ppm. The studied material exhibited high selectivity, as it did not respond to 6 ppm of acetone and methanol vapours.

Keywords: DMMP; light activation; regioregular poly(3-hexyltiophene), nerve agents sensor; room temperature; sarin detection.

Abstract

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