Ag/AgCl-decorated polypyrrole nanotubes and their sensory properties

A facile method to prepare Ag/AgCl-decorated polypyrrole nanotubes (PPy/Ag–AgCl nanocomposites) has been demonstrated. PPy nanotubes were assembled on the reactive self-degraded template of a fibrillar complex of FeCl3 and methyl orange (MO). By introducing PPy nanotubes into AgNO3 solution, Ag and AgCl nanoparticles could be uniformly decorated onto the PPy nanotube surface in situ by the reaction of PPy and AgNO3. The morphology and structure of the nanocomposites were characterized by transmission electron microscopy (TEM), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and X-ray diffraction (XRD). The possible application of PPy/Ag–AgCl nanocomposites as a vapor sensor has also been reported. The responses of these nanocomposites were observed to be reversible by monitoring the change in the resistance of the nanocomposites upon exposure to ammonia vapor. PPy/Ag–AgCl composite nanotubes sensors showed enhanced chemiresistor sensitivity compared with PPy nanotubes.