Synthesis and fabrication of polyaniline/eggshell composite in ammonia detection

Abstract

This study focuses on the measurement and performance of bio-filler composite based on polyaniline (PANI)/chicken eggshell (CES). The composite films were prepared via ex-situ polymerisation using DBSA as its dopant. The PANI solution was distributed equally before mixing it with three different ratios of CES powder. Characterisations of the composite films were analysed using Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and Ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy (UV-Vis), Scanning electron microscope/energy dispersive x-ray (SEM/EDX) and multimeter. PANI film that contained 20mg CES filler possessed the highest conductivity and the fastest time to achieve 90% of sensitivity. The film was also very selective towards ammonia gas and can be reused up to eight cycles. All data reported in this study proved that PANI film with 20mg CES filler can act as a sensitive sensor with 6 ppm limit of detection.