Optimization and Application of the Polymer Film Poly(n-methylpyrrole) for Environmental Sensors

The presence of chlorinated solvents (e.g. 1,1,1-trichloroethane, 1,1- dichloroethane, trichloroethene, and tetrachloroethene) in groundwater results in considerable public health risk and environmental contamination. Real-time sensing is ideal for monitoring remediation techniques. Previous work has focused on polymer based sensing platforms for chlorohydrocarbon detection including poly(nmethylpyrrole) (PNMP). This work aims towards extending the useful lifetime of PNMP films as a viable sensing platform. To extend the useful lifetime of PNMP films, the impact of the thickness of the film and the frequency of sampling was investigated by comparing the electrical response of PNMP films over time. Comparisons between continuously sampled films and stored films showed a large loss in signal strength for the continuously sampled films when compared to the stored polymers. Further analysis concluded continuously sampled films showed a slower rate of signal decay for thicker films whereas stored films showed a slower rate of signal decay for thinner films.