High performance hydrazine vapor sensor based on redox mechanism of twisted perylene diimide derivative with lower reduction potential

A conductometric film device prepared using solution processing method based on a perylene diimide derivative with low reduction potentials (E 1/2 (PDI/PDI· − )   =   −0.098   V and E 1/2 (PDI· − /PDI 2− )   =   −0.360   V) for detection of hydrazine (NH 2 NH 2 ) vapors under ambient conditions is reported. The film device exhibited highly selectivity, reproducibility and ultrafast response towards hydrazine vapor with liner concentration-dependent characteristic under hydrazine vapor. However, the film device is unstable under high concentration (800   ppm) of hydrazine, which ascribed to the change of the film morphology demonstrated by SEM images combined with UV–vis spectra before and after exposed to 800   ppm hydrazine vapors. In addition, the effect of the film thick, the working voltages, relative humidity and temperature on the sensing performance were also discussed. Furthermore, the sensing mechanism of the film device to hydrazine vapor was investigated by UV–vis spectra, spectroelectrochemistry and cyclic voltammetry, which indicated that the redox of d-THBPDI plays a critical role in the sensing process.