The Polymer Society of Korea

김범준 (인천대학교)

박영돈 (인천대학교)

 Nitrogen dioxide NO2 monitoring is vital for environmental safety. We report high-performance gas sensors using poly(3-hexylthiophene) (P3HT) nanocomposites with 1D Boron Nitride Nanotubes (BNNTs). Unlike conductive CNTs, BNNTs provide structural stability without inducing high leakage currents.

 We investigated dimensional effects by comparing 1D BNNTs with 2D hexagonal boron nitride (h-BN) nanosheets. The P3HT/BNNT sensor showed superior sensitivity toward NO2 compared to h-BN composites. This enhancement is attributed to the high aspect ratio of BNNTs, which offers effective gas adsorption sites within the polymer matrix. Notably, the sensor demonstrated excellent selectivity for NO2 over interfering gases like SO2 and CO2, driven by specific Lewis acid-base interactions between electron-deficient boron atoms and NO2. This work suggests BNNTs are promising nanofillers for selective environmental sensors.