Highly selective ethanol vapour sensing materials for a new generation of gas sensors based on molecularly imprinted polymers

A simple gas sensor consisting of a molecularly imprinted polymer-carbon nanotube composite cast onto a screen-printed electrode has been developed with extremely high selectivity for ethanol vapour over methanol vapour. Ethanol gas sensors typically display selectivity for ethanol over methanol in the range 2-4 times, while the mean ratio of ethanol to methanol response observed with the described device was 672. This selectivity was achieved under ambient conditions. Additionally, the molecularly imprinted polymer was produced using reagents previously applied in the development of a device selective for methanol, with only the template being changed. This demonstrates the versatility of molecular imprinting and provides a foundation for their greater integration into future gas sensors.