Humidity sensing properties of different single-walled carbon nanotube composite films fabricated by layer-by-layer self-assembly technique

Poly(diallyldimethylammonium chloride)/single-walled carbon nanotube (PDDA/SWNT) multilayered thin films were prepared on quartz crystal microbalance by layer-by-layer self-assembly technique, and their sensing properties to humidity were studied. The SWNTs were characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The composite films were observed by field-emission scanning electron microscope. Two types of SWNT humidity sensors were fabricated using SWNTs and carboxyl (COOH) modified SWNTs as sensitive material, respectively. The results showed that the sensitivity of the PDDA/SWNT–COOH humidity sensor was 20.23 % higher than that of the PDDA/SWNT sensor. In contrast, the latter had a much superior hysteresis property, and the reason to cause this phenomenon was discussed.