Nanofibrous ZnO-loaded PVA/PEDOT:PSS for selective and enhanced ammonia detection

Electrospun nanofibrous composite materials enhance the sensitivity of gas sensors to ammonia. In this study, the fabrication of novel composite structure polyvinyl alcohol (PVA)/poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) polystyrene sulfonate (PEDOT:PSS) and zinc oxide (ZnO)-loaded PVA/PEDOT:PSS via a simple and low-cost electrospinning technique was carried out. By integrating n-type ZnO with p-type conductive polymer PEDOT:PSS, the formation of a p-n heterojunction is obtained, and its sensitivity enhancing effect is attributed to the bending of the energy band. The existence of ZnO in the composite enables the sensor to detect trace amounts (1–100 ppm) of NH₃, resulting in relatively higher sensitivity, selectivity, and stability over the long term. The ability of the obtained nanofibrous composite sensing material provides potential possibilities for future high-performance NH₃ gas sensor development.