Abstract

Hydrazine, a well-known reactive base and a critical reducing agent is a colorless liquid used substantially in industrial as well as in military applications [1]. Despite its acknowledged and long established applications, it is considered as a human carcinogen on minute levels of exposure through inhalation, ingestion or eye/skin contact. Hence, trace level detection of hydrazine is necessary for health safety. Various methods like liquid chromatography, spectrometry, electrochemical and optical have been reported for hydrazine sensing. We report a fiber optic SPR probe based on plasmonic property of silver thin film and palladium decorated MWCNTs engraved in polypyrrole matrix as sensing layer. Polypyrrole is a well-known conducting polymer used extensively for detection of hydrazine by charge transfer reactions leading to change in both its electrical and optical properties [2]. It also helps in attachments of Palladium-MWCNTs composite on silver coated probe.

© 2017 Japan Society of Applied Physics, Optical Society of America