AP01019 Enhancement of Gas Sensing Performance of Iron Oxide Lignin/Polyvinyl Alcohol Nanocomposite Films

Abstract

The current study investigates the structural properties of lignin/polyvinyl alcohol composite films with particular reference to the impact of Fe₂O₃ loading and carbonization toward CO₂ gas sensor usage. The prepared films showed the dominance of the C₄ phase, even though the concentration of Fe₂O₃ nanoparticles in the films was important in establishing their properties. Morphological variations with the content of Fe₂O₃ were observed using field-emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM), from spherical agglomerates to fibrous morphology and nanorods. Maintenance by various concentrations of Fe₂O₃ of various functional groups, like hydroxyl and aromatics, was established by using Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy. Enhanced CO₂ sensitivity in the instance of measurements of gases was shown with the best performance at the 4-ppm concentration of Fe₂O₃. These results demonstrate the utilization of carbon nanomaterials synthesized from lignin as active, environmentally friendly gas sensors.