Biomimetic sensing layer based on electrospun conductive polymer webs

The aim of the present study is to combine a bio-inspired nanofibrous artificial epithelium to the electronic nose (e-nose) principles. The sensing device set up was an electronic nose consisting of an array of 9 microchemoresistors (Cr–Au, 3×3) coated with electrospun nanofibrous structures. These were comprised of doped polyemeraldine base blended with 3 different polymers: polyethylene oxide, polyvinilpyrrolidone and polystyrene, which acted as carriers for the conducting polymer and were the major responsible of the features of each fibrous overlay (electrical parameters, selectivity and sensitivity ranges). The two sensing strategies here adopted and compared consisted in the use of 2 different textural coatings: a single- and a double-overlay, where the double-overlay resulting from overdeposition of 2 different polymer blends. Such e-nose included a plurality of nanofibres whose electrical parameters were at the same time depending on each polymer exposure to analytes (NO2, NH3) and on the spatial distribution of the interlacing fibres. The morphology of the coating arrangements of this novel e-nose was investigated by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and its sensor responses were processed by multicomponent data analyses (PCA and PLS) reporting encouraging results for detection and recognition of analytes at ppb levels.