Utilization of mechanically strong and graphene-like bond structure membrane present inside the casing of the pea pod for advanced applications by template polymerisation

This report highlights a novel approach in utilizing the natural properties of a mechanically strong and graphene-like bond structure membrane present inside the casing of the pea pod, a byproduct of the pea processing industry to create flexible gas sensors through the polymerization of polyaniline (PANI). Pea membranes exhibit a distinctive 2-D honeycomb bond structure (like graphene) which serves as a template for polymerization of PANI creating composite flexible conducting membranes suitable for electronic applications. The effect of various parameters such as polymerization time, pH and different initiators were optimized to obtain polymer layer with ~ 5 µm thickness for the best performance of the composite material. The synthesized polymerized pea membrane was found to act as room temperature chemo-resistive ethanol gas sensor with appreciable sensor responses in the range ~ 2.42 and rise time of 20 s and a fall time of 25 s. For applications where rapid detection is crucial (e.g., real-time breath alcohol checkers), the current composite’s fast response time is a significant advantage. This natural template structure gives a fast response time and reproducible results and could be explored for multiple industries opening avenues for further innovation.