Effect of Transition Metals on the Electrical Conductivity Response of dPPV/Zeolite Y Composites toward Ketone Vapors

Doped poly(p-phenylene vinylene) (dPPV) is mixed with modified zeolite Y to improve the selective and sensitive response of zeolite Y toward three different ketone vapors (acetone, methyl ethyl ketone, and methyl iso-butyl ketone), which are known as the toxic components. Zeolite Y (Si/Al 5.1, Na+) or NaY is ion exchanged with transition cations, Cu2+, Ni2+, and Fe2+, at 80% cation exchanged to prepare 80CuNaY, 80NiNaY, and 80FeNaY. In this work, the effects of transition cations, ketone vapor type, and ketone vapor concentration are systematically investigated. The highest electrical conductivity response and sensitivity toward acetone vapor at the vapor concentration of 30,000 ppm is obtained with 80CuNaY, whereas 80FeNaY shows the lowest values due to the electrostatic interaction between the zeolite framework and the cation. dPPV is mixed with 80CuNaY and exposed to the three ketone vapors. The electrical conductivity response and sensitivity of the composites toward acetone exhibits the highest values, whereas with MIBK they show the lowest value. After mixing of 80CuNaY with dPPV, the minimum vapor concentration toward acetone vapor decreases from 9 to 5 ppm. The response of the composite is irreversible as evidenced by Fourier transform infrared and atomic force microscopy techniques.