Synthesis of novel conducting triblock copolymer poly(thiophene-co-pyrrole-co-aniline) by chemical oxidative polymerization method for gas sensor application

The conducting triblock copolymer P(Th-co-Py-co-Ani) of thiophene (Th), pyrrole (Py), and aniline (Ani) has been synthesized by chemical oxidative polymerization method using anhydrous iron (III) chloride as an oxidizing agent in presence of acetonitrile solvent at 0-8°C. Characterizations of the synthesized copolymer were performed by Attenuated total reflection (ATR)-Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, powder X-ray diffraction analysis (PXRD), UV-Vis spectroscopy, elemental analysis (CHNS), Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and Scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Notably, UV-Vis spectroscopy revealed that triblock copolymers exhibit highly conjugated conducting polymer backbone, essential for its electrical conductivity and suitability for various applications. The prepared P(Th-co-Py-co-Ani) material was investigated for the gas sensing property of several gases such as ammonia, acetone, carbon monoxide, ethanol, and methane. The gas sensing study revealed that P(Th-co-Py-co-Ani) demonstrates promising gas sensing capabilities, particularly at room temperature.