CuS‐Carrageenan Composite Grown from the Gel/Liquid Interface

Abstract The aim of this study is to highlight novel CuS‐carrageenan nanocomposites grown from the interface between sulfide solutions (liquid phases) and Cu‐ι‐carrageenan gels. Several parameters including pH, copper and carrageenan concentration of the hydrogel that influence the growth of the nanocomposite have been examined. The most effective parameter is the initial pH of the liquid phase, hence, three growing samples at pH 7, 10 and 13 were selected for further studies and referred as LPH7, LPH10 and LPH13. Three CuS‐carrageenan nanocomposites obtained from the three pH conditions were purified and examined in detail using several characterization techniques such as X‐ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The structure, composition, properties as well as the growth mechanism of the nanocomposite have been studied. Additionally, the electrical conductivity of the nanocomposite was exploited to be used as a sensor of relative humidity and temperature.