Flexible organic vapour sensor was fabricated by coating polyvinyl alcohol-MWCNTs on cotton fabrics.  MWCNTs following polyvinyl alcohol were spray coated on fabric on cotton fabric. Fabricated sensor was characterized by XRD, FESEM, FTIR and Raman spectroscopy. Vapour sensing studies reveal that PVA-MWCNTs show enhanced sensitivity and selectivity towards Ethanol sensing (100 ppm) at room temperature with fast response (~24 sec), recovery time (~29 sec) and excellent on and off repeatability.  Polymer swelling due to volatile organic interaction is the widely reported sensing mechanism. However, room temperature operation, reversible, nearly equal response and recovery time of is interesting.   In order to shed more light on the sensing mechanism, ethanol interaction with PVA-MWCNTs interface was studied using Density Functional Theory calculation.  Various, parameters such as interaction energy, binding sites and interfacial charge transfer effects will be discussed in detail.<br/>

MWCNTs/polyvinyl alcohol based flexible ethanol sensor: Density functional theory study of ethanol interactions at MWCNT-PVA interface

254th National Meeting (2017)

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