Synthesis and characterization of polyaniline-titanium(IV)phosphate cation exchange composite: Methanol sensor and isothermal stability in terms of DC electrical conductivity

Electrically conductive composite of polyaniline-titanium(IV)phosphate (PANI-TiP) was synthesized by sol-gel method. The obtained composite was characterized by using Fourier transform infra red spectroscopy (FTIR), X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). The composite showed good ion-exchange capacity and isothermal stability in terms of DC electrical conductivity retention at an ambient conditions below 100 °C. The composite material was investigated as alcohol vapors sensor and compared with blank polyaniline. The results showed that the composite was more selective and sensitive towards methanol vapors.