PANI/Ti3C2Tx composite nanofiber-based flexible conductometric sensor for the detection of NH3 at room temperature

The rational design of sensing materials with distinct morphologies and compositions is important to construct outstanding flexible gas sensors. Herein, a mesh polyaniline (PANI)/Ti 3 C 2 T x composite nanofiber-based flexible sensor was constructed by electrospinning of PANI and few-layer Ti 3 C 2 T x nanosheets . Sensing results indicated that this novel PANI/Ti 3 C 2 T x flexible sensor demonstrated much higher NH 3 sensing response (2.3-fold improvement @ 20 ppm) in comparison with the sensor based on pure PANI nanofibers at 25 °C. Under different bending angles (maximum compression of 150°) and different bending times (maximum bending of 3200 times), the PANI/Ti 3 C 2 T x flexible sensor maintained steady sensing behavior towards 20 ppm NH 3 , which reflected its good flexible bending stability. The PANI/Ti 3 C 2 T x flexible sensor also exhibited good selectivity, repeatability, as well as good long-term stability. The improvement of NH 3 sensing properties can be ascribed to the formation of Schottky junctions between PANI and Ti 3 C 2 T x nanosheets, improved protonation degree of PANI, and the special three-dimensional mesh fiber structure. Our work revealed that the PANI/Ti 3 C 2 T x composite nanofibers with interconnected mesh fiber structure have great potential to construct flexible NH 3 sensors.