Boosted organic gas sensing performance through the strong interaction between a two-dimensional magnesium silicate molecular sieve and target gas analytes

Conjugated polymers have great potential as sensing materials for portable sensor devices owing to their mechanical flexibility, cost-effectiveness, and light weight. However, they face challenges such as low sensitivity and poor stability under ambient conditions, owing to which their development lags behind that of inorganic-based gas sensors. Integrating functional nanomaterials into polymer semiconductors can enhance their gas sensitivity and stability. In this study, we present novel organic–inorganic hybrid gas sensors fabricated by blending zeolite nanocrystals with a conjugated polymer. The introduction of a magnesium-containing delaminated MCM tWenty-tWo (MWW) layer (Mg-DML-x, x = 100–160 °C) zeolite into the conjugated polymer matrix significantly improved gas-sensing performance while retaining high responsivity and rapid response rates. To explore the impact of the structural dimensions and framework of magnesium we adjusted the crystallization temperature of Mg-DML-x. The results show that the two-dimensional structure and Lewis basic framework magnesium in Mg-DML-x have a strong affinity for NO₂ gas molecules, and this affinity becomes even stronger with increasing crystallization temperature of Mg-DML-x.