Concomitant in Situ FTIR and Impedance Measurements To Address the 2-Methylcyclopentanone Vapor-Sensing Mechanism in MnO2-Polymer Nanocomposites.

Polymer nanocomposite-based sensors were prepared using cellulose acetate (CA), carbon nanoparticles (CNPs), and manganese dioxide (MnO2) nanorods to detect and to understand the sensing mechanism of 2-methylcyclopentanone vapor. A sensor with a mass ratio of 1:1.5:3 of MnO2/CNPs/CA as well as MnO2/CA and MnO2/CNP composite and MnO2 sensors were prepared. The sensor with the three sensing materials combined exhibited an enhancement of response for 2-methylcyclopentanone vapor, ascribed to a synergistic effect between MnO2/CNPs/CA. An in situ Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR)-combined online LCR meter setup was used to understand the sensing mechanism of the sensor. The sensing mechanism involved a deep oxidation decomposition of the analyte to CO2. This was confirmed from the in situ FTIR-combined online LCR meter results, where a new distinct CO2 bending mode IR band was recorded. To optimize the performance of the sensor, the composites were prepared by varying the amount of metal oxide added into the composites; sensor A (composition of mass ratio 1:1.5:3), sensor B (composition of mass ratio 2:1.5:3), and sensor C (composition of mass ratio 2.5:1.5:3); their compositions are MnO2/CNPs/CA. The performance of sensor B was higher than that of the other two sensors. The sensors also show relatively good response-recovery time. All fabricated sensors were found to have the sensing ability regenerated after the analyte was removed from the system without losing its sensing and recovery abilities. The structural and morphological features of the samples were characterized by X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, and Raman spectroscopy.

Performance enhancement of poly(3-hexylthiophene-2,5-diyl) based field effect transistors through surfactant treatment of the poly(vinyl alcohol) gate insulator surface.

We report on the improvement of field effect transistors based on poly(3-hexylthiophene-2,5-diyl) (P3HT) as a channel semiconductor and crosslinked poly(vinyl alcohol) (cr-PVA) as a gate insulator, through the treatment of the cr-PVA film surface before P3HT deposition. We treated the cr-PVA either with hydrochloric acid (HCl) or with a cationic surfactant, hexadecyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB), aiming at the passivation of the hole traps at the cr-PVA/P3HT interface. The treatment with HCl leads to an excessive increase in the transistor leakage current and unstable electrical characteristics, despite implying an increase in the gate capacitance. The treatment with CTAB leads to transistors with ca. 50% higher specific capacitance and a tenfold increase in the charge carrier field-effect mobility, when compared to devices based on untreated cr-PVA.

Functionalized spherical carbon nanostructure/poly(vinylphenol) composites for application in low power consumption write-once-read-many times memories.

We apply functionalized carbon nanoshell and carbon sphere based composites in poly(vinylphenol) matrix in write-once-read-many-times memory elements. The devices based on carbon nanoshells show an ON/OFF current ratio of 10(5) and long-term information retention. The functionalized carbon nanoshells and carbon spheres show improved dispersion in the poly(vinylphenol) matrix, allowing the preparation of homogeneous films even at the submicrometer scale. The low ON current allows low power operation, dissipating less than 10(-4) J per square meter device active area during the write operation, which is the most energy consuming one.

Nitrogen-doped, boron-doped and undoped multiwalled carbon nanotube/polymer composites in WORM memory devices.

We report the preparation of write-once-read-many times memory devices using composites of carbon nanotubes and poly(vinyl phenol) sandwiched between Al electrodes. Three types of nanotubes (undoped multiwalled carbon nanotubes, nitrogen-doped multiwalled carbon nanotubes and boron-doped multiwalled carbon nanotubes) are investigated for this application. The OFF to ON state switching threshold is only slightly dependent on nanotube type, but the ON/OFF current ratio depends on both nanotube type and concentration and varies up to 10(6), decreasing for nanotube concentrations larger than 0.50 wt% in the composite.

Electronic detection of Drechslera sp. fungi in charentais melon ( Cucumis melo Naudin) using carbon-nanostructure-based sensors.

The development of chemical sensor technology in recent years has stimulated an interest regarding the use of characteristic volatiles and odors as a rapid and early indication of deterioration in fruit quality. The fungal infestation by Drechslera sp. in melons is a severe problem, and we demonstrate that electronic sensors based on carbon nanostructures are able to detect the presence of these fungi in melon. The responses of sensor conductance G and capacitance C at 27 kHz were measured and used to calculate their ΔG and ΔC variation over the full melon ripening process under shelf conditions with proliferation of Drechslera sp. fungi. The sensor response showed that these fungi can be electronically identified in charentais melon, constituting an effective and cheap test procedure to differentiate between infected and uninfected melon.

AC-conductance and capacitance measurements for ethanol vapor detection using carbon nanotube-polyvinyl alcohol composite based devices.

We report the preparation of inexpensive ethanol sensor devices using multiwalled carbon nanotube-polyvinyl alcohol composite films deposited onto interdigitated electrodes patterned on phenolite substrates. We investigate the frequency dependent response of the device conductance and capacitance showing that higher sensitivity is obtained at higher frequency if the conductance is used as sensing parameter. In the case of capacitance measurements, higher sensitivity is obtained at low frequency. Ethanol detection at a concentration of 300 ppm in air is demonstrated. More than 80% of the sensor conductance and capacitance variation response occurs in less than 20 s.

Composites of polyvinyl alcohol and carbon (coils, undoped and nitrogen doped multiwalled carbon nanotubes) as ethanol, methanol and toluene vapor sensors.

We investigate the chemical sensing behavior of composites prepared with polyvinyl alcohol and carbon materials (undoped multiwalled carbon nanotubes, nitrogen-doped multiwalled carbon nanotubes and carbon nanocoils). We determine the sensitivity of thin films of these composites for ethanol, methanol and toluene vapor, comparing their conductance and capacitance responses. The composite that exhibits highest sensitivity depends on specific vapor, vapor concentration and measured electrical response, showing that the interactivity of the carbon structure with chemical species depend on structural specificities of the carbon structure and doping.

Hybrid vertical architecture transistor with 2,6-diphenylindenofluorene based emitter and base permeability controlled by polystyrene spheres lithography.

We report on vertical architecture hybrid transistor devices using p-type silicon as collector terminal and 2,6-diphenylindenofluorene as organic semiconductor in the emitter layer. Polystyrene spheres were used as shadow masks in order to control the diameter and density of the openings in the Al metallic base. Two processes of sphere deposition were used: electrospray and dip-coating. The electrospray deposition leads to a smaller density of sphere agglomerates, but for the used sphere diameter, approximately 200 nm, the transistor performance is similar for devices prepared with sphere deposition by both techniques. The so constructed permeable-base transistors show common-emitter current gain of the order of 10(2).

Hybrid permeable metal-base transistor with large common-emitter current gain and low operational voltage.

We demonstrate the suitability of N,N'-diphenyl-N,N'-bis(1-naphthylphenyl)-1,1'-biphenyl-4,4'-diamine (NPB), an organic semiconductor widely used in organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs), for high-gain, low operational voltage nanostructured vertical-architecture transistors, which operate as permeable-base transistors. By introducing vanadium oxide (V2O5) between the injecting metal and NPB layer at the transistor emitter, we reduced the emitter operational voltage. The addition of two Ca layers, leading to a Ca/Ag/Ca base, allowed to obtain a large value of common-emitter current gain, but still retaining the permeable-base transistor character. This kind of vertical devices produced by simple technologies offer attractive new possibilities due to the large variety of available molecular semiconductors, opening the possibility of incorporating new functionalities in silicon-based devices.