P(VDF-HFP) Polymer as Sensing Material for Capacitive Carbon Dioxide Sensors

P(VDF-HFP) polymer is investigated through both theoretical and experimental approaches as a sensing material for capacitive CO
₂
sensor applications. Analysis based on the Clausius-Mossotti model shows that larger CO
₂
solubility and larger dielectric constant contribute to high CO
₂
capacitive sensitivity, which shows that P(VDF-HFP) polymer has significantly higher CO
₂
sensitivity compared with Teflon when they have comparable CO
₂
solubility, which is supported by subsequent experimental demonstration. Cross-sensitivity to humidity and temperature are evaluated and discussed for both P(VDF-HFP) and Teflon polymers. Fourier Transform Infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) analysis further reveals that the electrostatic interaction of P(VDF-HFP) with CO
₂
is stronger than Teflon. The theoretical analyses and experimental demonstration indicate that P(VDF-HFP) is a promising sensing material to be applied for capacitive CO
₂
sensors operated at room temperature.