Search

This paper reports on the results from the investigation into the pH sensitivity ofnovel PANI/PVB/PS3 composite films. The conductimetric sensing mode was chosen as itis one of the most promising alternatives to the mainstream pH-sensing methods and it is theleast investigated due to the popularity of other approaches. The films were deposited usingboth screen-printing and a drop-coating method. It was found that the best response to pHwas obtained from the screen-printed thick films, which demonstrated a change inconductance by as much as three orders of magnitude over the pH range pH2-pH11. Thedevices exhibited a stable response over 96 hours of operation. Several films were immersedin buffer solutions of different pH values for 96 hours and these were then investigated usingXPS. The resulting N 1s spectra for the various films confirmed that the change inconductance was due to deprotonation of the PANI polymer backbone. SEM andProfilometry were also undertaken and showed that no considerable changes in themorphology of the films took place and that the films did not swell or contract due toexposure to test solutions.

This paper reviews current state-of-the-art methods of measuring pH levels that are based on polymer materials. These include polymer-coated fibre optic sensors, devices with electrodes modified with pH-sensitive polymers, fluorescent pH indicators, potentiometric pH sensors as well as sensors that use combinatory approach for ion concentration monitoring.

Thick films Nickel oxide (NiO) in the form of pn-junctions and planar structures with interdigitated electrodes were investigated for γ-radiation dosimetry purposes. Samples were fabricated using the thick film screen-printing technique. All devices were exposed to a disc-type 137Cs source with an activity of 370 kBq. They showed an increase in the values of current with the increase in radiation dose up to a certain level. Performance parameters of the devices, such as sensitivity to γ-radiation exposure and working dose region, were found to be highly dependant on the composition of the materials used.

Thin films of Tellurium dioxide (TeO2) were investigated for γ-radiation dosimetry purposes. Samples were fabricated using thin film vapour deposition technique. Thin films of TeO2 were exposed to a 60Co γ-radiation source at a dose rate of 6 Gy/min at room temperature. Absorption spectra for TeO2 films were recorded and the values of the optical band gap and energies of the localized states for as-deposited and γ-irradiated samples were calculated. It was found that the optical band gap values were decreased as the radiation dose was increased. Samples with electrical contacts having a planar structure showed a linear increase in current values with the increase in radiation dose up to a certain dose level. The observed changes in both the optical and the electrical properties suggest that TeO2 thin film may be considered as an effective material for room temperature real time γ-radiation dosimetry.