Synthesis and gas sensing properties of polypyrrole/MoO3-layered nanohybrids

Intercalative hybrid materials, comprised of polypyrrole (PPy) chains interleaved with the layers of MoO3, have been synthesized using concomitant ion exchange reaction. The (PPy)(x)MoO3-pressed pellets show a semiconducting-like transport with an activation energy of 0.2 eV. The MoO3 host layers play a dominant role in the determination of the transport properties of (PPy)(x)MoO3. The (PPy)(x)MoO3-pressed pellets show a distinct response to volatile organic compounds (VOCs) by increasing their electrical resistivity, which could be induced by the incorporation of VOC molecules into the interlayers of (PPy)(x)MoO3. (PPy)(x)MoO3 exhibits higher sensitivities to polar analytes such as formaldehyde and acetaldehyde, whereas it shows almost no response to toluene and benzene.