High sensitivity ammonia detection using metal nanoparticles decorated on graphene macroporous frameworks/polyaniline hybrid

Abstract In this paper, we presented the fabrication and properties of new ammonia (NH 3 ) sensors with sensitive layer of nickel nanoparticles decorated on three-dimensional nitrogen-doped graphene-based frameworks/polyaniline (NiNPs@3D-(N)GFs/PANI) hybrid. The hybrid are synthesized through in-situ oxidative polymerization on flexible thin substrate. Synergetic behavior between both components manifested outstanding sensitivity (750.2 at 1000 ppm NH 3 ) and quick response (95 s) and recovery (25 s) times and a lower limit of detection (~ 45 ppb) at room temperature. The sensitivity of NiNPs@3D-(N)GFs/PANI hybrid sensor was shown to be about 14 times more than its of pure PANI sensor at 1000 ppm of NH 3 . The excellent sensitivity of the as-prepared hybrid is mainly originated from the substantial rise of hole-like carriers by NiNPs@3D-(N)GFs as well as improved inter-molecule interactions via π- π electron networks. The obtained results revealed significant advantages for the synthesized hybrid sensor, making it a suitable choice for real-world applications of NH 3 detection.