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Terahertz split-ring metamaterials as transducers for chemical sensors based on conducting polymers: a feasibility study with sensing of acidic and basic gases using polyaniline chemosensitive layer

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Abstract

We report on the first application of terahertz metamaterials acting as transducers for chemical sensors based on conducting polymers. In our feasibility study aimed at sensing of gaseous hydrochloric and ammonia, a two-dimensional sensor metamaterial consisting of an array of split-ring resonators on the surface of undoped silicon wafer was prepared. The surface of the resonator was coated with a 150-μm layer of polyaniline. Binding of hydrogen chloride to polyaniline leads to distinct changes in the resonance frequency of the metamaterial. Measurements can be performed both in the reflection and transmission mode. A numerical simulation of the response revealed an increase of both the real and the imaginary components of the dielectric function of the polyaniline film. These changes are attributed to the transition from emaraldine base to emeraldine salt. The results demonstrate a new approach for formation of highly sensitive transducers for chemical sensors.

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Acknowledgments

The authors are grateful to C. Linz for preparing the SRR arrays, Prof. R. Huber, Prof. M. Koch and Dr. C. Jansen for fruitful discussions, Dr. U. Lange for participating in preliminary experiments and Prof. J. Acker for the measurements of polymer thickness. We thank the DFG (SFB689) and Linkage Grant of IB of BMBF at DLR.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Terahertz Center, University of Regensburg, 93040, Regensburg, Germany

    Christoph Drexler, Christoph Lange, Sergey N. Danilov, Dieter Weiss, Sergey D. Ganichev & Vladimir M. Mirsky

  2. Nanobiotechnology, Faculty of Natural Sciences, Brandenburg University of Technology, 01968, Senftenberg, Germany

    Tatiana V. Shishkanova & Vladimir M. Mirsky

  3. Institute of Chemical Technology, 16628, Prague 6, Czech Republic

    Tatiana V. Shishkanova

Authors
  1. Christoph Drexler
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  2. Tatiana V. Shishkanova
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  3. Christoph Lange
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  4. Sergey N. Danilov
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  5. Dieter Weiss
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  6. Sergey D. Ganichev
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  7. Vladimir M. Mirsky
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Correspondence to Vladimir M. Mirsky.

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Drexler, C., Shishkanova, T.V., Lange, C. et al. Terahertz split-ring metamaterials as transducers for chemical sensors based on conducting polymers: a feasibility study with sensing of acidic and basic gases using polyaniline chemosensitive layer. Microchim Acta 181, 1857–1862 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00604-014-1263-0

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00604-014-1263-0

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