The Polymer Society of Korea

손다은 (인천대학교)

박영돈 (인천대학교)

High-performance portable real-time gas sensors are essential for environmental monitoring and detecting hazardous gases in industry. This study presents an organic thin-film transistor (OFET) gas sensor enhanced by incorporating a porous, high-surface-area FAU zeolite into the active layer of poly(3-hexylthiophene) (P3HT). By tuning the Si/Al ratio of the zeolite, the density of framework negative charges and coordinated Na⁺ cations was controlled, leading to the formation of  basic surfaces. These surfaces promoted stronger interactions with acidic polar gases such as NO₂, SO₂, and CO₂, resulting in about 4.5 times higher sensitivity and selectivity than pristine P3HT films. Additionally, the porous zeolite structure improved air stability and recovery, enabling the composite films to maintain electrical performance under humidity and light exposure. This work demonstrates that optimizing the ionic composition of zeolites is a promising approach to improving gas sensor performance.