Machine Olfaction Device (MOD) Sensors

(Part Two)

Conducting Polymer Sensors

A polymer is basically a substance made up of many repeating
chemical units (or molecules). Conducting polymers, as the name
indicates, are conjugated polymers, organic compounds that have an
extended p-orbital system, through which electrons can freely move
from one end of the polymer to the other. The most common are
polyaniline (PAni) and polypyrrole (PPY) [13]. A conducting polymer
film is usually used as a sensor to detect vapours/odours using the
same principles as those applicable for MOS*.

Polymers can be used for many devices combining unique optical,

electrical, and mechanical properties. Conducting polymers can be
used for optical effects and underlying physical processes.

Conjugated polymers e.g. poly(para-phenylene, polyaniline, and

poly(p-phenylenevinylene) characterized by high flexibility

Most conducting polymers can be made to transfer electrons to other

materials such as Buckminsterfullerene(Carbon 60 ‘C60 Buckyball’)
[13].

Both inorganic and organic materials can be used to create LEDs

(light-emitting diodes), such as InGaN (Indium Gallium Nitride)
materials or cadmium selenide nanocrystals, where the physical
process involves quantum-wells.

Conducting polymers are made by 'electro polymerisation' of

complex organic dyes specifically derivatives of the substances
polypyrole, polyaniline and polythiophene.

Depending on the exact chemical structure of the polymer, each one

can be given a different conductive behaviour. In this way, a list (or
database library) can be built of different types of conducting
polymer (i.e. sensors) with each one testing a different type of
molecular.

a. Polymer Preparation

Conducting polymer sensors are made by chemical or

electrochemical polarization from monomers: ‘aniline, pyrolle’.

The addition of dopants (any kind of conductive materials) increases

the polymer conductivity as they create an accumulation of positive
or negative particles, e.g. self-doped polyaniline [13].
b. Sensing Mechanism

When the analyte interacts with the sensing surface (i.e. when a
molecule in the sensor interacts with another molecule in the
environment) the resulting output is a detectable signal [14]. This is
the basic principle of the chemical sensor.

All polymers, in general, have a similar detecting mechanism.

Chemical sensors based on conjugated polymers detect a variety of
analytes and have the ability to detect these at low concentrations,
this is because they contain a ‘Chromophore’, a chemical group
contained within the polymer where the energy for the excitation of
an electron is very low [14].

When contact is made with analyte molecules, the conductivity of

the ‘polymer’ changes. A current will be created within the sensor in
proportion to the concentration of the analyte.

The next step is that the generated current will usually be detected
by the signal processing circuits in the MOD. A pattern will then be
generated indicating the type of element/molecules in the sample.

c. Advantages of polymer sensors

1- They work within a wide range of operating conditions (e.g.

variations in average room temperature, pressure and humidity)
2- Functional groups that interact with different classes of odorant
molecules can be built into the active material, providing a high
level of sensitivities and selectivity
3- Organic materials tend to be easier to use than inorganic oxides,
as they can be used close to ambient environmental conditions
than, for example, MMOS. Also, they are more easily modified
to react with specific gaseous species than inorganic materials.

d. Disadvantages of polymer sensors

1 - Even though polymers can be made highly sensitive (point 2

above), organic materials in general are usually poor
conductors, and hence measurement conductivity can be difficult
2 - Can be thermally unstable
3 - Can be sensitive to water

Najib Altawell

* MOS = Metal Oxide Semiconductor

© Altawell 2008