Embedding 1D Conducting Channels into 3D Isoporous Polymer Films for High‐Performance Humidity Sensing

• Published in: Angewandte Chemie International Edition Vol. 57; no. 35; pp. 11218 - 11222
• Main Authors: Shevate, Rahul, Haque, Md Azimul, Akhtar, Faheem Hassan, Villalobos, Luis Francisco, Wu, Tom, Peinemann, Klaus‐Viktor
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Germany Wiley Subscription Services, Inc 27.08.2018
• Edition: International ed. in English
• Subjects: Block copolymers; carbon nanoubes; chemiresistance; Conducting polymers; Copolymers; Embedding; Humidity; isoporous films; Nanochannels; Nanotechnology; Nanotubes; Organic chemistry; Polymer films; Polymers; Response time; sensors; Single wall carbon nanotubes; Vapors; chemiresistance; sensors; carbon nanoubes; polymers; isoporous films
• ISSN: 1433-7851; 1521-3773; 1521-3773
• DOI: 10.1002/anie.201804656

Isoporous block copolymer (BCP) films have received exponential interest as highly selective membranes, stemming from their unique morphological features, but their applications in functional devices remain to be realized. Now single‐walled carbon nanotubes (CNTs) were efficiently incorporated into isoporous block copolymer films for chemiresistive sensing at room temperature. Leveraging the efficient charge extraction ability of CNTs together with nanochannel arrays aligned perpendicular to the surface of the films, an ultrafast response time of 0.3 s was achieved for humidity detection with a sensor response of about 800 on changing humidity from 10 % to 95 %. Furthermore, the sensor also responds to various organic vapors, underscoring its promising detection capability. Sensing on film: A facile strategy for fabricating a CNT‐embedded isoporous film is introduced. A chemiresistive sensor based on the functional film was developed for efficient detection of humidity and volatile organic compounds.