Fabrication of low-cost p-n heterostructure room temperature LPG sensing properties of Polyaniline–Copper ferrite composite

The current study demonstrates the sensing response of a polyaniline–copper ferrite (PANI-CuFe 2 O 4 ) nanostructured composite for liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) sensing. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) techniques were used to characterize the PANI and the nanocomposite prepared by chemical polymerization method. At room temperature, a simple LPG sensor with a maximum sensing response of 86% at 764 ppm LPG was fabricated using only spin coated PANI-CuFe 2 O 4 nanocomposite. It is observed that as the gas concentration in parts per million (ppm) increased, the composite's resistance also decreased. Their quick reaction and recovery durations, as well as their sensing performance stability, which are demonstrated their potential candidature for gas sensing applications. To describe how the sensing mechanism works, the p-n hetero-junction barrier produced at the interface of PANI and CuFe 2 O 4 is used.