Layer thickness impact on the capacity of poly(urethaneimide) for sorbing toxic gases

Abstract

The sensitivity of a thick layer (500 nm) of poly(urethaneimide) to toxic gases such as pyridine and hexamethyleneimine was studied by the quartz crystal microbalance method. The resonant frequency was registered by a spectrum analyzer. The successful overcoming of the unfavorable impact of the increased viscous damping, typical for the standard oscillator measurement method, allowed complete understanding of the behavior of a thick polymer layer toward highly pollutant gases. Quantitative information for polymer adsorption capacity and gas diffusivity was extracted. The comparison with our recent results for thinner layers revealed strong dependence on layer thickness for pyridine whereas the corresponding effect with hexamethyleneimine was found much less significant. Intermolecular interactions and the impact of the gas physical adsorption on the polymer matrix properties were shown as the driving parameters for the sensors response. The thickness dependence provides a tool for tuning the sensitivity of a potentially efficient poly(urethaneimide) sensor for pyridine.