MHDA-Functionalized Multiwall Carbon Nanotubes for detecting non-aromatic VOCs

The chemical modification of multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) with a long chain mercapto acid is reported as a way to improve sensitivity and response time of gas sensors for detecting alcohols, acetone and toxic gases such as DMMP. We have developed sensors employing MWCNTs decorated with gold nanoparticles and modified with a 16-mercaptohexadecanoic acid (MHDA) monolayer. Morphological and compositional analysis by Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM), Fourier Transform Infra-red Spectroscopy (FTIR) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy were performed to characterize the gold nanoparticles and to check the bonding of the thiol monolayer. The detection of aromatic and non-aromatic volatiles and DMMP vapors by MWCNT/Au and MWCNT/Au/MHDA shows that the presence of the self-assembled layer increases sensitivity and selectivity towards non-aromatics. Furthermore, it ameliorates response dynamics, and significantly reduces nitrogen dioxide and moisture cross-sensitivity.

[1]  J. Depciuch,et al.  Study of Optical Properties of a Glutathione Capped Gold Nanoparticles Using Linker (MHDA) by Fourier Transform Infra Red Spectroscopy and Surface Enhanced Raman Scattering , 2013 .

[2]  David E. Williams Semiconducting oxides as gas-sensitive resistors , 1999 .

[3]  Saad A. Khan,et al.  Real-Time FTIR and in Situ Rheological Studies on the UV Curing Kinetics of Thiol-ene Polymers , 1997 .

[4]  Wenhui Zhang,et al.  Carbon Nanotubes as Active Components for Gas Sensors , 2009, J. Sensors.

[5]  T. Seiyama,et al.  A New Detector for Gaseous Components Using Semiconductive Thin Films. , 1962 .

[6]  E. Llobet Gas sensors using carbon nanomaterials: A review , 2013 .

[7]  N. Tsubokawa Preparation and Properties of Polymer-grafted Carbon Nanotubes and Nanofibers , 2005 .

[8]  Fei Wang,et al.  Diverse chemiresistors based upon covalently modified multiwalled carbon nanotubes. , 2011, Journal of the American Chemical Society.

[9]  C. Urch,et al.  Electrostatic control of aromatic stacking interactions. , 2005, Journal of the American Chemical Society.

[10]  Eduard Llobet,et al.  WO3 films modified with functionalised multi-wall carbon nanotubes: Morphological, compositional and gas response studies , 2006 .

[11]  Jill McDonnell,et al.  Ammonia sensing characteristics of carbon-nanotube yarns decorated with nanocrystalline gold , 2011 .

[12]  C. Bittencourt,et al.  Probing the interaction between gold nanoparticles and oxygen functionalized carbon nanotubes , 2009 .

[13]  Eduard Llobet,et al.  Iron oxide and oxygen plasma functionalized multi-walled carbon nanotubes for the discrimination of volatile organic compounds , 2014 .

[14]  Eduard Llobet,et al.  Pt- and Pd-decorated MWCNTs for vapour and gas detection at room temperature , 2015, Beilstein journal of nanotechnology.

[15]  Eduard Llobet,et al.  Oxygen functionalisation of MWNT and their use as gas sensitive thick-film layers , 2006 .

[16]  Kong,et al.  Nanotube molecular wires as chemical sensors , 2000, Science.

[17]  Xingfang Hu,et al.  Fabrication and electrochromic properties of spin-coated TiO2 thin films from peroxo-polytitanic acid , 1999 .

[18]  Alexander Star,et al.  Gas sensor array based on metal-decorated carbon nanotubes. , 2006, The journal of physical chemistry. B.

[19]  Manuel Aleixandre,et al.  Multi-Walled Carbon Nanotube Networks As Gas Sensors for NO2 Detection , 2007 .

[20]  Robert C. Wolpert,et al.  A Review of the , 1985 .

[21]  A. Goldoni,et al.  Sensing gases with carbon nanotubes: a review of the actual situation , 2010, Journal of physics. Condensed matter : an Institute of Physics journal.

[22]  Eduard Llobet,et al.  Deep Cavitand Self‐Assembled on Au NPs‐MWCNT as Highly Sensitive Benzene Sensing Interface , 2015 .

[23]  Jianbo Lu,et al.  Carbon nanotubes/poly(ε-caprolactone) composite vapour sensors , 2009 .

[24]  R Duarte-Davidson,et al.  Benzene in the environment: an assessment of the potential risks to the health of the population , 2001, Occupational and environmental medicine.

[25]  E. Llobet,et al.  Multi-walled carbon nanotubes for volatile organic compound detection , 2013 .

[26]  Eduard Llobet,et al.  Room-temperature, selective detection of benzene at trace levels using plasma-treated metal-decorated multiwalled carbon nanotubes , 2010 .

[27]  N. Jaffrezic‐Renault,et al.  Study of self-assembled monolayers of n-alkanethiol on a surface plasmon resonance fibre optic sensor , 1996 .

[28]  V. Svorcik,et al.  "Soft and rigid" dithiols and Au nanoparticles grafting on plasma-treated polyethyleneterephthalate , 2011, Nanoscale research letters.

[29]  C. Barbero,et al.  Tuning the Molecular Sensitivity of Conductive Polymer Resistive Sensors by Chemical Functionalization , 2014 .

[30]  E. Llobet,et al.  Rhodium-decorated MWCNTs for detecting organic vapours , 2015 .

[31]  K. Schoch,et al.  Phthalocyanine semiconductor sensors for room-temperature ppb level detection of toxic gases , 1989 .

[32]  U. Cvelbar,et al.  Highly enhanced vapor sensing of multiwalled carbon nanotube network sensors by n -butylamine functionalization , 2014 .

[33]  K. Matsushige,et al.  Chemical treatment and modification of multi-walled carbon nanotubes , 2002 .

[34]  Avi Bendavid,et al.  Detection of hydrogen using multi-walled carbon-nanotube yarns coated with nanocrystalline Pd and Pd/Pt layered structures , 2012 .

[35]  A. Boudrioua,et al.  Physical and optical waveguiding properties of sol-gel deposited nano-structured TiO 2 thin films: a study on the effect of synthesis parameters , 2015 .

[36]  Li Wei,et al.  Theoretical Calculation of the Gas-Sensing Properties of Pt-Decorated Carbon Nanotubes , 2013, Sensors.

[38]  C. Bittencourt,et al.  Plasma Fluorination of Vertically Aligned Carbon Nanotubes , 2013 .

[39]  Ludwig J. Gauckler,et al.  Miniaturised arrays of tin oxide gas sensors on single microhotplate substrates fabricated by micromolding in capillaries , 2003 .

[40]  E. Llobet,et al.  Carbon nanotubes randomly decorated with gold clusters: from nano2hybrid atomic structures to gas sensing prototypes , 2009, Nanotechnology.

[41]  Eduard Llobet,et al.  Boron- and nitrogen-doped multi-wall carbon nanotubes for gas detection , 2014 .

[42]  E. Llobet,et al.  Gas sensing properties of multiwall carbon nanotubes decorated with rhodium nanoparticles , 2011, 1605.08079.

[43]  E. S. Snow,et al.  Chemical Detection with a Single-Walled Carbon Nanotube Capacitor , 2005, Science.

[44]  Zhen Zhou,et al.  Computational study of B- or N-doped single-walled carbon nanotubes as NH3 and NO2 sensors , 2007 .

[45]  H. Haick,et al.  Detecting simulated patterns of lung cancer biomarkers by random network of single-walled carbon nanotubes coated with nonpolymeric organic materials. , 2008, Nano letters.

[46]  A. Star,et al.  Chemical Sensing with Polyaniline Coated Single‐Walled Carbon Nanotubes , 2011, Advanced materials.

[47]  Huangxian Ju,et al.  Application of Colloidal Gold in Protein Immobilization, Electron Transfer, and Biosensing , 2003 .

[48]  D. Castner,et al.  Multi-technique Characterization of Self-assembled Carboxylic Acid Terminated Alkanethiol Monolayers on Nanoparticle and Flat Gold Surfaces. , 2011, The journal of physical chemistry. C, Nanomaterials and interfaces.

[49]  Kapil Sood,et al.  A hydrogen gas sensor using a Pt-sputtered MWCNTs/ZnO nanostructure , 2014 .

[50]  Chungsying Lu,et al.  Adsorption Kinetic, Thermodynamic, and Desorption Studies of Isopropyl Alcohol Vapor by Oxidized Single-Walled Carbon Nanotubes , 2009, Journal of the Air & Waste Management Association.

[51]  H. Haick,et al.  Carbon Nanotube/Hexa‐peri‐hexabenzocoronene Bilayers for Discrimination Between Nonpolar Volatile Organic Compounds of Cancer and Humid Atmospheres , 2010, Advances in Materials.

[52]  Seung-Chul Ha,et al.  Integrated and microheater embedded gas sensor array based on the polymer composites dispensed in micromachined wells , 2005 .

[53]  Hong-Ming Lin,et al.  A novel SnO2 gas sensor doped with carbon nanotubes operating at room temperature , 2004 .

[54]  Giovanni Neri,et al.  Pt-TiO2/MWCNTs Hybrid Composites for Monitoring Low Hydrogen Concentrations in Air , 2012, Sensors.

[55]  M. Terrones,et al.  Fabrication of vapor and gas sensors using films of aligned CNx nanotubes , 2004 .

[56]  Radu Ionescu,et al.  Nanoarray of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and carbon nanotubes for accurate and predictive detection in real-world environmental humidity. , 2011, ACS nano.

[57]  G. Neri,et al.  Hydrogen sensing characteristics of Pt/TiO2/MWCNTs composites , 2012 .

[58]  A. Abdelghani,et al.  Functionalised magnetic beads on gold surface for C-reactive protein detection , 2015 .

[59]  E. Llobet,et al.  Gas sensing with Au-decorated carbon nanotubes. , 2011, ACS nano.

[60]  Sheng-Joue Young,et al.  Ethanol Gas Sensors Composed of Carbon Nanotubes with Adsorbed Gold Nanoparticles , 2012, International Journal of Electrochemical Science.

[61]  Mohammad Hadi Shahrokh Abadi,et al.  SnO2/Pt Thin Film Laser Ablated Gas Sensor Array , 2011, Sensors.

[62]  Xiaohua Huang,et al.  Surface plasmon resonance scattering and absorption of anti-EGFR antibody conjugated gold nanoparticles in cancer diagnostics: applications in oral cancer. , 2005, Nano letters.

[63]  Taehyung Kim,et al.  Sensors and sensor arrays based on conjugated polymers and carbon nanotubes , 2002 .

[64]  Ronald E. Hester,et al.  Volatile organic compounds in the atmosphere , 1995 .