The use of p(4-VP) cryogel as template for in situ preparation of p(An), p(Py), and p(Th) conductive polymer and their potential sensor applications

•P(4-VP)/conductive polymer interpenetrating cryogel composites as sensors.•P(4-VP) semi-IPN conductive cryogel composite as sensor for HCl and NH3 gas vapors.•The cryogel-conductive polymer derived sensors for MB or MO dye solutions.

Superporous poly(4-vinyl pyridine) (p(4VP)) cryogels were used as a template for the in situ synthesis of conductive polymer such as poly(aniline) (p(An)), poly(pyrrole) (p(Py)) and poly(thiophene) (p(Th)) via oxidative polymerization technique to obtain p(4-VP)/conductive composite semi-interpenetrating polymer networks (semi-IPN). The amount of in situ polymerized p(An), p(Py), and p(Th) within p(4-VP) cryogels were determined gravimetrically, and the highest amounts of conductive polymer was prepared for p(Th) in situ within p(4-VP) network with %39.3 ± 1.2 (wt%). The prepared p(4-VP)/p(An), p(4-VP)/p(Py), and p(4-VP)/p(Th) semi-IPN conductive cryogel composite systems were characterized by using Fourier Transform Infrared (FT-IR) spectrometer. The conductivities of p(4-VP) cryogels were increased from 1.75 × 10−9 ± 1.9 × 10−10 S cm−1 to about 150 K, 65 K and 600 fold with the in situ synthesis of p(An), p(Py), and p(Th) respectively. Furthermore, the sensor applications of the prepared p(4-VP)/p(An), p(4-VP)/p(Py), and p(4-VP)/p(Th) semi-IPN conductive cryogel systems were tested for different gases such as HCl, NH3 and against aqueous solutions of methyl orange (MO), methylene blue (MB) dyes.

Graphical abstractDownload high-res image (163KB)Download full-size image