In this study, for the first time we report the fabrication of low-cost ethylene glycol (EG)-doped PEDOT-PSS (poly 3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene:polystyrene sulfonate) organic thin film sensors for the detection of LPG at room temperature. The prepared thin films were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), atomic force microscopy (AFM), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), ultraviolet-visible (UV-Vis) spectroscopy and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) techniques for the analysis of their structural and morphological features. The doping of EG strongly improved the conductivity of pure PEDOT-PSS films by three orders of magnitude. The gas sensing responses of pristine and doped PEDOT-PSS thin films were investigated at room temperature by fabricating a sensor device on an ITO-coated glass substrate. The gas sensing characteristics of the prepared thin films were investigated for liquified petroleum gas (LPG), dimethyl propane, methane and butane test gases. The EG-doped PEDOT-PSS thin films exhibited excellent sensitivity for all the test gases, especially towards LPG, at room temperature. The sensitivity of the doped PEDOT-PSS films was recorded to be >90% for LPG with improved response and recovery time. The stability study indicated that the sensing response of doped PEDOT-PSS thin films was highly stable over a period of 30 days. Due to enhanced sensitivity, stability and fast response and recovery times, these EG-doped PEDOT-PSS thin films can be used in gas sensor technology, especially towards the detection of LPG at room temperature.

As a continuation of our efforts to develop new heterogeneous nanomagnetic catalysts for greener reactions, we identified a Schiff base-palladium(II) complex anchored on magnetic nanoparticles (SB-Pd@MNPs) as a highly active nanomagnetic catalyst for Suzuki-Miyaura cross-coupling reactions between phenylboronic acid and aryl halides and for the reduction of nitroarenes using sodium borohydride in an aqueous medium at room temperature. The SB-Pd@MNPs nanomagnetic catalyst shows notable advantages such as simplicity of operation, excellent yields, short reaction times, heterogeneous nature, easy magnetic work up and recyclability. Characterization of the synthesized SB-Pd@MNPs nanomagnetic catalyst was performed with various physicochemical methods such as attenuated total reflectance infrared spectroscopy, UV-visible spectroscopy, inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectroscopy, energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, field-emission scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, powder X-ray powder diffraction, thermogravimetric analysis and Brunauer-Emmett-Teller surface area analysis.

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