POS5-0395
Enhancement of Gas Adsorption Performance in P3HT Films via Chemical and Structural Effects of PVA
Topic
S5. Polymers for Electronics and Photonics
When and Where
Oct 1, 2026
08:30 - 09:30
Room 301 (Grand Ballroom)
Session Chairs
Jinkee HONG
Ki Su KIM
Presenter(s)
Se Jin Park (Incheon National University)
Co-Author(s)
Abstract
Conjugated polymers are promising active materials for next-generation portable sensors and electronic skins owing to their mechanical flexibility and cost-effective processability. However, their limited gas sensitivity remains a critical bottleneck for commercialization. This study presents a highly effective surface-engineering strategy to significantly enhance NO₂ sensing performance by fabricating a poly(3-hexylthiophene) (P3HT) and poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) blend film via emulsion spin-coating, followed by a simple aqueous immersion process. The selective water-etching of the PVA phase generates a 3D nanoporous structure while preserving the structural integrity of the P3HT conductive network, ensuring sustained charge-carrier mobility. At the optimal P3HT:PVA ratio (4:6), the surface roughness (Rq) drastically increased from 0.73 nm to 4.58 nm. Crucially, this selective removal process strategically retains residual hydroxyl (-OH) groups at the pore interfaces, which act as powerful chemical anchors for oxidizing NO₂ gas. The synergistic effect of the maximized physical adsorption area and localized chemical interactions yielded a 4.4-fold enhancement in sensitivity compared to the pristine P3HT film, despite a 60% reduction in the conductive polymer content. These findings demonstrate a highly viable and scalable methodology for developing high-performance organic gas sensors through simple morphological and interfacial chemistry control.
