Tuning Nanofibrous Sensor Performance in Selective Detection of B-VOCs by MIP-NP Loading.

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Chemical Sensors
• Nanotechnology

Background:

• Molecular imprinting and electrospinning are key technologies for creating selective and high-surface-area sensing materials.
• Plant-emitted volatile organic compounds (VOCs) require selective detection methods for environmental and agricultural applications.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the impact of molecularly imprinted polymer nanoparticle (MIP-NP) loading on electrospun nanofibre sensor performance.
• To develop a humidity-tolerant sensor for selective linalool detection.

Main Methods:

• Synthesized linalool-imprinted MIP-NPs using precipitation polymerization.
• Embedded MIP-NPs into a polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) and multi-walled carbon nanotube (MWCNT) matrix.
• Fabricated nanofibrous mats via electrospinning and characterized morphology using atomic force microscopy (AFM).
• Evaluated electrical sensing performance under varying relative humidity (RH) conditions.

Main Results:

• MIP-NP loading influenced nanofibre morphology and roughness.
• Elevated humidity (up to 60% RH) enhanced sensor response stability.
• The highest MIP-NP loading achieved a detection limit of 8 ppb for linalool.
• Demonstrated 84% selectivity for linalool over related terpenes.

Conclusions:

• Tuning MIP-NP loading offers a versatile method to optimize sensor performance.
• The developed sensor is humidity-tolerant and selective for linalool detection.
• This approach is promising for creating advanced VOC sensors for environmental monitoring.