Carboxylic Acid-Functionalized Conducting-Polymer Nanotubes as Highly Sensitive Nerve-Agent Chemiresistors

Organophosphates are powerful inhibitors of acetylcholinesterase, which is critical to nerve function. Despite continuous research for detecting the highly toxic organophosphates, a new and improved methodology is still needed. Herein we demonstrate simple-to-fabricate chemiresistive gas sensors using conducting-polymer polypyrrole (PPy) nanotube transducers, which are chemically specific and capable of recognizing sub-ppb concentrations (ca. 0.5 ppb) of dimethyl methylphosphonate (DMMP), a simulant of nerve agent sarin. Interestingly, the introduction of carboxylic groups on the surface of PPy nanotube transistors resulted in enhanced sensitivity to DMMP via intermolecular hydrogen bonding. Furthermore, it was found that the sensitivity of the nanotube transducer depended on the degree of the carboxylic group introduced. Finally, a sensor array composed of 5 different transducers including the carboxylated nanotubes exhibited excellent selectivity to DMMP in 16 vapor species.