You are a helpful assistant generating synthetic data that captures *System 1* and *System 2* thinking, *creativity*, and *metacognitive reflection*. Follow these steps in sequence, using tags [sys1] and [end sys1] for *System 1* sections and [sys2] and [end sys2] for *System 2* sections.

1. *Identify System 1 and System 2 Thinking Requirements:*
   - Carefully read the text.
   - Identify parts of the text that require quick, straightforward responses (*System 1*). Mark these sections with [sys1] and [end sys1].
   - Identify parts that require in-depth, reflective thinking (*System 2*), marked with [sys2] and [end sys2].

2. *Apply Step-by-Step Problem Solving with Creativity and Metacognitive Reflection for System 2 Sections:*

   *2.1 Understand the Problem:*
   - Objective: Fully comprehend the issue, constraints, and relevant context.
   - Reflection: "What do I understand about this issue? What might I be overlooking?"
   - Creative Perspective: Seek hidden patterns or possibilities that could reveal deeper insights or innovative connections.

   *2.2 Analyze the Information:*
   - Objective: Break down the problem logically.
   - Reflection: "Am I considering all factors? Are there any assumptions that need challenging?"
   - Creative Perspective: Explore unique patterns or overlooked relationships in the data that could add depth to the analysis.

   *2.3 Generate Hypotheses:*
   - Objective: Propose at least 10 hypotheses, each with a Confidence Score (0.0 to 1.0) and Creative Score (0.0 to 1.0), reflecting originality, surprise, and utility.
   - Reflection: "Have I explored all possible explanations or approaches, both conventional and unconventional?"
   - Creative Perspective: Consider novel angles that might provide unexpected insights.

   *2.4 Anticipate Future Steps and Obstacles:*
   - Objective: Make predictions, accounting for potential outcomes and obstacles.
   - Reflection: "What challenges might I face? Is my plan flexible for different scenarios?"
   - Creative Perspective: Visualize unforeseen outcomes and adapt plans to make use of them effectively.

   *2.5 Evaluate Hypotheses:*
   - Objective: Assess hypotheses based on feasibility, risk, and potential impact.
   - Evaluation: Refine Confidence and Creative Scores as needed.
   - Reflection: "Am I unbiased in my assessment? Which options fit best with the overall objectives?"
   - Creative Perspective: Identify hidden opportunities or overlooked details in each hypothesis.

   *2.6 Select the Best Hypothesis:*
   - Objective: Choose the most promising, strategic hypothesis.
   - Reflection: "Why does this hypothesis stand out? How does it uniquely address the issue?"
   - Creative Perspective: Consider any underutilized potential in the selected approach.

   *2.7 Implement the Hypothesis:*
   - Objective: Outline actionable steps for testing the hypothesis.
   - Reflection: "Is this plan practical? What resources or preparation are required?"
   - Creative Perspective: Refine steps to maximize effectiveness and yield unexpected benefits.

   *2.8 Monitor and Review Progress:*
   - Objective: Review progress, noting areas for improvement.
   - Reflection: "What’s working well? What could be improved?"
   - Creative Perspective: Look for emerging patterns that could refine future approaches.

   *2.9 Reflect and Capture Insights:*
   - Objective: Summarize lessons learned and insights gained for future reference.
   - Reflection: "What new understanding has emerged from this process?"
   - Creative Perspective: Identify innovative insights or patterns that could be applied to similar challenges.

3. *Generate Text Output with Interleaved System 1 and System 2 Responses:*
   - Use the tags [sys1] and [sys2] throughout.
   - Aim for a lengthier, detailed response. Combine both direct, straightforward *System 1* insights and reflective, deeply analytical *System 2* segments to capture a blend of quick observations and thoughtful analysis.

---

### *Example Input Text:*

You are tasked with analyzing a sudden shift in customer preferences in a tech market. There has been a noticeable decline in demand for physical devices, with customers increasingly interested in digital-only options. The challenge is to understand this shift, generate hypotheses for why it might be occurring, and explore potential strategies for adapting to this new trend.

---

### *Processed Output with System 1 and System 2 Thinking:*

The tech market is experiencing a shift in customer demand, moving away from physical devices toward digital-only options.

[sys1]
Customer demand has shifted from physical devices to digital-only options.
We need to understand why this change is happening and find strategies to address it.
Key factors may include cost, convenience, and technological trends.
[end sys1]

[sys2]
**2.1 Understand the Problem:**
The goal is to understand the underlying reasons for the shift in demand from physical devices to digital-only options, then develop a strategy to adapt.

*Reflection:* 
"I understand that preferences are changing, but what might be driving this? Is it primarily cost, or are there other factors such as convenience or sustainability?"

*Creative Perspective:* 
"Could there be a larger trend in digital minimalism or a preference for eco-friendly solutions that we’re missing? What unseen motivations might explain this shift?"

**2.2 Analyze the Information:**
There are multiple possible factors driving this shift, from economic influences to cultural shifts. It’s essential to isolate each factor and understand its impact.

*Reflection:* 
"Am I fully considering the various economic and social influences? Could there be a technological factor, like better internet speeds, that makes digital-only products more accessible?"

*Creative Perspective:* 
"Are there patterns or trends in other markets that could shed light on this shift? Could this be part of a larger trend toward virtual experiences?"

**2.3 Generate Hypotheses:**
1. Customers prefer digital options due to lower costs. (Confidence: 0.8, Creative: 0.4)
2. There’s a growing trend toward minimalism and reduced physical clutter. (Confidence: 0.7, Creative: 0.7)
3. Digital products offer greater flexibility and ease of use. (Confidence: 0.6, Creative: 0.6)
4. Environmental concerns are pushing consumers away from physical goods. (Confidence: 0.6, Creative: 0.8)
5. Advances in tech make digital-only options more functional. (Confidence: 0.8, Creative: 0.5)
6. Pandemic-era remote work increased demand for digital solutions. (Confidence: 0.7, Creative: 0.6)
7. Media coverage of the environmental impact of physical devices affects preferences. (Confidence: 0.5, Creative: 0.7)
8. There’s an increase in global digital literacy, expanding market access. (Confidence: 0.6, Creative: 0.6)
9. Customers view digital as more convenient and scalable for future needs. (Confidence: 0.7, Creative: 0.5)
10. Younger consumers prefer the aesthetics and convenience of digital products. (Confidence: 0.6, Creative: 0.6)

*Reflection:* 
"Have I considered all possible influences? Are there any surprising factors that could explain this shift?"

*Creative Perspective:* 
"Could specific social trends, like the rise of influencer culture or digital-first lifestyles, be influencing customer choices?"

**2.4 Anticipate Future Steps and Obstacles:**
*Objective:* Anticipate possible challenges, such as resistance from segments still preferring physical products.

*Reflection:* 
"What market obstacles might we face if we shift our focus to digital-only? Are there sub-segments that still prioritize physical products?"

*Creative Perspective:* 
"Could expanding digital options help us reach a more global audience? Are there emerging trends that we could leverage in our strategy?"

[end sys2]

[sys1]
To address this shift, consider a strategy that incorporates both digital-only offerings and educational campaigns about the benefits of digital solutions.
Use insights from customer feedback and current trends to guide product development.
Focus on flexibility and adaptation to cater to different customer segments.
[end sys1]


1. Introduction {#sec1-polymers-12-00455}
===============

To detect environmentally hazardous gases, many modern technologies have been developed to avoid and control the concentration of harmful gases. Numerous volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are known: various kinds of organic chemical gases and ingredients in a large number of industrial products, such as fuel, paints, cosmetics, composite wood, and even some ordinary exhaust fumes, like cooking, smoking, and wood-burning. With the VOC feature of simple evaporation at room temperature, human health can easily be affected through breathing or skin contact \[[@B1-polymers-12-00455],[@B2-polymers-12-00455],[@B3-polymers-12-00455]\]. Therefore, sensing VOC vapors at low concentration is extremely important and necessary for health protection \[[@B4-polymers-12-00455],[@B5-polymers-12-00455]\]. Based on a cross-reactive sensor of conductivity, optical response, and volume, when exposed to different types of gases, the sensitivity can be precisely identified by changes in optical transmittance \[[@B6-polymers-12-00455],[@B7-polymers-12-00455]\].

Numerous sensing devices fabricated by conducting polymers have been investigated and applied in many fields. Conducting polymer has outstanding advantages when used in chemical and biological sensors with excellent selectivity and sensitivity \[[@B8-polymers-12-00455]\]. It is also an attractive material for VOC detection because of the benefits of easy fabrication, detectable optical changes, high sensitivity, and low poisoning effect \[[@B9-polymers-12-00455],[@B10-polymers-12-00455],[@B11-polymers-12-00455],[@B12-polymers-12-00455]\].

Polyaniline (PANI) has been widely used over the past 20 years for the detection of various gases, such as H~2~O, NH~3~, NO~x,~ and hydrogen, due to the redox reaction of a nitrogen atom in PANI \[[@B9-polymers-12-00455],[@B13-polymers-12-00455],[@B14-polymers-12-00455],[@B15-polymers-12-00455]\]. The structure of PANI from a polymerization reaction of aniline includes two functional groups, a reduced \[B--N--N--NH\] repeat unit and an oxidized \[B--N=Q=N^−^\] repeat unit, where B indicates benzenoid, and Q indicates a quinoid ring. By the redox reaction, the benzenoid and quinoid ring can be interchanged with each other. When the ration of reduced units to oxidized units are 1:1 (i.e., benzenoid:quinoid = 3:1), PANI consisted of emeraldine salts and becomes electrically conductive. Through the reversible acid/base equilibrium, polyaniline can be changed from the emeraldine base with blue color and the emeraldine salt with green color \[[@B9-polymers-12-00455],[@B16-polymers-12-00455]\]. However, some VOC sensors show low response due to the limited magnitude change of the electronic structure compared to NH~3~, NO~x~ gases and, hence, PANI is typically combined with other materials, such as PVA, PPy, ZnO, CuO, and Ag, for VOC sensing applications \[[@B14-polymers-12-00455],[@B16-polymers-12-00455],[@B17-polymers-12-00455],[@B18-polymers-12-00455],[@B19-polymers-12-00455]\].

Conjugated polymers have been widely applied in chemical and biological sensors due to outstanding advantages, including excellent sensing response, and high selectivity and sensitivity \[[@B8-polymers-12-00455]\]. P3TI was chosen as one of the promising donor (D)-acceptor (A) copolymers to increase optical responses and achieve high sensitivity or selectivity. D--A copolymer shows a combination of a high-lying HOMO energy level (highest occupied molecular orbital) and a low-lying LUMO energy level (lowest unoccupied molecular orbital) in their narrow optical bandgaps \[[@B20-polymers-12-00455],[@B21-polymers-12-00455],[@B22-polymers-12-00455]\]. Additionally, P3TI shows an easy-to-synthesize and straightforward structure. There are some properties important for gas sensors to achieve high sensitivity and selectivities, like high air stability and hole mobility \[[@B23-polymers-12-00455]\].

Using the electrospinning process can produce fibers with a majority of materials, for example, polymers, composites, semiconductors, and ceramics \[[@B24-polymers-12-00455],[@B25-polymers-12-00455],[@B26-polymers-12-00455]\]. When considering the flexibility of the sensor manufacture, electrospinning is a state-of-the-art method to fabricate fibers with benefits including solution process, high specific surface area, ease of material combination, mass production, and relatively low start-up cost. In addition, the electrospinning technique can easily control the morphology of free-standing films, such as fiber diameter, shape, and thickness of the film. Poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) is used as the matrix of the sensing material because of its transparent and good mechanical properties \[[@B27-polymers-12-00455],[@B28-polymers-12-00455],[@B29-polymers-12-00455],[@B30-polymers-12-00455]\]. Therefore, we designed PANI/P3TI/PMMA fibers to improve the detection of VOCs.

In this study, PANI/P3TI/PMMA fibers were fabricated by the electrospinning technique to detect VOC vapors. The free-standing fibers were, respectively, deposited onto a glass substrate and metal framework before being treated with a UV/ozone system. Then, the response of sensing fibers was tested practically under various VOC vapors with different concentrations. The effects of UV/ozone treatment, loading substrates were discussed. The PANI/P3TI/PMMA fibers exhibited excellent sensitivity and low detection limits to VOCs, especially to butanol vapors.

2. Experiment Section {#sec2-polymers-12-00455}
=====================

2.1. Preparation of PANI/P3TI/PMMA Fibers {#sec2dot1-polymers-12-00455}
-----------------------------------------

Polyaniline emeraldine base (PANI, M.W. \~65,000) and poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA, M.W. \~996,000) were purchased from Sigma-Aldrich (Sigma-Aldrich, St. Louis, MO, USA). P3TI was fabricated according to a previous study \[[@B31-polymers-12-00455]\]. At first, PANI and P3TI, in the ratio of 10:1, were dissolved in N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone (NMP, Sigma-Aldrich, St. Louis, MO, USA) with continuous stirring at 90 °C for 24 h. Then PMMA was added to the solution and continuously stirred at 60 °C until a homogeneous PANI/P3TI/PMMA solution was obtained. More detail can be found in the [supporting information](#app1-polymers-12-00455){ref-type="app"}. The mixture solution was loaded into a 10 mL syringe and allowed to undergo an electrospinning process to fabricate the PAIN/P3TI/PMMA fibers. In the electrospinning process, to have a stable process, we need to balance the flow rate of the solution through the syringe and the flow rate of the solution at the tip under certain electric propulsion. The parameters of the system are set up at a constant value as below. The tip-to-collector distance is 10 cm; the speed of the collector is 600 rpm; the applied voltage is 20 kV; the flow rate of the PANI/P3TI/PMMA solution is 0.6 mL h^−1^ for 3 h. The ambient condition is 25 °C and 50% relative humidity. The fibers were harvested by directly assembling onto the glass surface or metal framework before treatment by a UV/ozone system.

2.2. Characterization {#sec2dot2-polymers-12-00455}
---------------------

To study the surface morphology and analyze the contents of the elements therein, we observed specimens under field emission scanning electron microscope with energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (FESEM, model SU8010, Hitachi High-Technologies Corp., Tokyo, Japan) equipped with EDS (XFlash Detector 5030, Bruker AXS, Karlsruhe, Germany). Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR, model Horiba FT-730, Minami-ku, Kyoto, Japan) was used to evaluate the functional groups and chemical bonding of PANI and P3TI. The FTIR spectra were recorded in the range of 4000 to 450 cm^−1^ with a resolution of 2.0 cm^−1^.

2.3. VOC Detection {#sec2dot3-polymers-12-00455}
------------------

VOC concentration was controlled by delivering a certain amount of organic chemical solvents, including n-butanol (99.5%, Acros, Fair Lawn, NJ, USA), dimethylformamide (DMF, 99.8%, Acros, Fair Lawn, NJ, USA), toluene (99.8%, Acros, Fair Lawn, NJ, USA), n-propanol (99.5%, Acros, Fair Lawn, NJ, USA), and chlorobenzene (CB, 99.8%, Acros, Fair Lawn, NJ, USA) into an 80 cm^3^ chamber ([Figure S1](#app1-polymers-12-00455){ref-type="app"}) and waiting for its evaporation at room temperature in equilibrium. After the VOC solvent was volatilized, PANI/P3TI/PMMA fibers were placed in the chamber. The transmission spectra were studied at a working temperature of 25 °C by UV--VIS spectrophotometry (V-730, Jasco, Tokyo, Japan) with the range of the wavelength from 400 to 1100 nm and a resolution of 0.5 nm. To diminish the noise signal during VOC measurements, we investigated the influence of the absorption of the gas chamber and VOC vapor and the stability of the optical system in the blank experiment. [Figure S2](#app1-polymers-12-00455){ref-type="app"} shows the transmittance at 620 nm without sensing material in the chamber for 1800 s. Firstly, the chamber without VOC vapor was placed in the UV--VIS spectrometer to record the optical signal for 500 s. The transmittance was decreased from 100% to 87.63% due to the absorption of the quartz-made gas chamber. At time t = 501 s, n-butanol vapor with 2000 ppm was released into the chamber and we continued to record the transmittance signal until t = 1800 s. From the results of both processes, we determined that the noise signal of transmittance was about 0.0304% in the blank experiment. On the other hand, the response of the sensing process is defined by the extinction change, which converted from the transmission signal. The extinction at 620 nm is calculated by Equation (1) \[[@B30-polymers-12-00455]\]:$$E_{t}{= \log}\left( \frac{100 - T_{baseline} + T_{t}}{100} \right)$$ where E~t~ is the extinction of the sensing material exposed to VOC vapors at time t, T~baseline~ is the transmittance of the empty gas chamber, and T~t~ is the transmittance at exposure time t.

Afterward, the extinction change ($\Delta E$) at exposure time t is expressed as follows:$$\Delta E_{t} = E_{i} - E_{t}$$ where E~i~ is the initial extinction before exposure to VOC vapors, and E~t~ is the extinction of exposure time t. Since the extinction change of the sensing noise signal is about 0.001, it is used as a reference to screen the noise. Namely, the response of sensing material exposed to VOC vapors is recognized as its extinction change is greater than 0.001.

3. Results and Discussion {#sec3-polymers-12-00455}
=========================

To determine the transition of the excited state, we used UV--VIS spectroscopy to examine the absorption spectra of PANI and PANI/P3TI, as shown in [Figure 1](#polymers-12-00455-f001){ref-type="fig"}. The absorption spectra of PANI show the highest peak at 630 nm of the optical light source, which represents the blue color of the PANI emeraldine base. After P3TI was doped into the solution, the highest peak shifted slightly to a lower wavelength at 620 nm. It can be seen that the optical properties of the sensing material was almost unchanged when doped with P3TI. Thus, the absorbance at a wavelength of 620 nm was used for VOC detection.

[Figure 2](#polymers-12-00455-f002){ref-type="fig"} represents the FTIR spectroscopic analysis for the PANI/PMMA, PANI/P3TI/PMMA fibers, and the pristine PANI, P3TI. Compared with the main absorption peaks of the pristine PANI, both PANI/PMMA and PANI/P3TI/PMMA fibers have the same peak located at 1587, 1495, 1302, 1163 cm^−1^, corresponding to the quinoid ring (N=Q=N), N--H stretching, C--N stretching, C=C benzenoid ring, and quinoid ring stretching \[[@B32-polymers-12-00455]\]. Considering the spectrum of pristine P3TI, we observed that two characteristic peaks of P3IT at 1693 and 708 cm^−1^ could be recognized. The presence of C=O and C--S stretching is indicated \[[@B33-polymers-12-00455]\]. Although the peak was not apparent in the spectrum of PANI/P3TI/PMMA, the low ratio of P3TI in the PANI/PMMA composite was considered. The FTIR spectra results confirmed that P3TI was successfully incorporated with the polymer matrix and maintained in its original chemical bonding after the blending and electrospinning process.

[Figure 3](#polymers-12-00455-f003){ref-type="fig"} shows the morphologies of the PANI/P3TI/PMMA fibers with various UV/ozone treatment times. PANI/P3TI/PMMA fibers showed a cylindrical form, highly uniformity and continuous, as shown in [Figure 3](#polymers-12-00455-f003){ref-type="fig"}a and [Figure S3](#app1-polymers-12-00455){ref-type="app"}. The related average diameter of the fibers is about 500 nm. The rough surface of the blending fibers was observed owing to the manufacturing process of the electrospinning system \[[@B30-polymers-12-00455]\]. However, with the UV/ozone treatment, the surface of the fibers become smooth ([Figure 3](#polymers-12-00455-f003){ref-type="fig"}b--e). Additionally, the morphology of fibers converted to ribbon form, leading to an increase in the diameter with the increase of treatment time. Notably, when the treatment time is higher than 20 min, the morphology of fibers was changed significantly. Some fibers were broken, and others appeared interconnected with adjacent fibers. This was attributed to oxidation by ozone. The hydroxyl groups (--OH) were produced and reduced some of the functional groups, such as C--O, O--C=O, leading to fiber structure change \[[@B31-polymers-12-00455],[@B33-polymers-12-00455]\]. According to the results, the sensitivity of the fibers can be enhanced.

To improve VOC sensing performance, we studied the various UV/ozone treatment times, which is the critical parameter to change the response in VOC sensing. [Figure 4](#polymers-12-00455-f004){ref-type="fig"} shows the extinction change of PANI/P3TI/PMMA fibers exposed to 2000 ppm n-butanol for 1800 s with various UV/ozone treatment times ranging from 0 to 40 min. Due to the low surface energy of thermoplastics, and the derived hydrophobicity or weak hydrophilicity \[[@B34-polymers-12-00455]\], the bonding strength between PANI/P3TI/PMMA fibers and VOC molecules is limited and tends toward low sensitivity. It is noted that the response of the sensing fibers without treatment and with 10 min treatment was nearly unchanged when exposed to 2000 ppm n-butanol vapor for 1800 s. Afterward, with the UV/ozone treatment for more than 20 min, the ester group on PMMA quickly becomes oxidized with ozone, and then produced hydroxyl groups (--OH). These hydroxyl groups create hydrogen or covalent bonds on the surface fibers, suggesting that the surface energy of PANI/P3TI/PMMA fibers would be increased. Therefore, the extinction change of the fibers dramatically increased when the treatment time was prolonged from 20 to 40 min. However, PANI/P3TI/PMMA fibers were unstable in high relative humidity conditions as the treatment time was up to 40 min, as shown in [Figure S4](#app1-polymers-12-00455){ref-type="app"}. According to the result, the acceptable treatment times are 20 and 30 min due to the stable and effective response to n-butanol.

We have successfully harvested the PANI/P3TI/PMMA fibers with a metal framework. The extinction change at 620 nm of PANI/P3TI/PMMA fibers with different substrates, when exposed to 2000 ppm n-butanol, is shown in [Figure 5](#polymers-12-00455-f005){ref-type="fig"}. The PANI/P3TI/PMMA fibers deposited on the glass substrates were only exposed to VOCs with a single side, while those loaded on the metal framework substrates provided double faces exposed to VOCs. Moreover, during the surface treatment, the fibers can be comprehensively bared to ozone due to the double-side exposure as loaded on the metal framework. This would boost the efficiency of the surface treatment. Compared to glass substrates, the response of PANI/P3TI/PMMA fibers on metal framework substrates was significantly magnified about nine times with 20 min UV/ozone treatment ([Figure 5](#polymers-12-00455-f005){ref-type="fig"}a), and three times after 30 min UV/ozone treatment ([Figure 5](#polymers-12-00455-f005){ref-type="fig"}b), respectively. Thus, 30 min of UV/ozone treatment time was chosen for further study.

Based on the spectral changes of absorption and fluorescence shifts when the polymer backbone reacts with particular ions, the sensitivity of the chemical sensor will be recognized \[[@B8-polymers-12-00455],[@B35-polymers-12-00455]\]. P3TI-doped PANI/PMMA is an extremely rational method for promoting the response of VOC sensing. [Figure 6](#polymers-12-00455-f006){ref-type="fig"} shows the extinction change of PANI/PMMA and PANI/P3TI/PMMA fibers exposed to 2000 ppm n-butanol. The maximum extinction change grew from 0.256 to 0.483, an improvement around 1.9 times after P3TI was incorporated into PANI/PMMA. Additionally, the response time of PANI/P3TI/PMMA fibers was relatively short, compared to PANI/PMMA fibers. This result indicates that P3TI significantly enhanced the sensitivity and shortened the response time for VOC sensing measurements.

The selective responses of various n-butanol concentrations of PANI/P3TI/PMMA fibers are examined and presented in [Figure 7](#polymers-12-00455-f007){ref-type="fig"}a. The extinction change depends on the n-butanol concentrations. The detection limit of the sensing fibers was investigated through VOC sensing measurements ([Figure S2](#app1-polymers-12-00455){ref-type="app"}) with a concern to background noises. When the extinction change of PANI/P3TI/PMMA fibers is greater than the sensing noise signal (∆E = 0.001), the response of VOCs sensing will be identified. Hence, the detection limit of the PANI/P3TI/PMMA fibers for n-butanol is estimated at 100 ppm. As exposure to specific concentrations lowered to 100 ppm, it was difficult to show any responses of VOC sensing. Herein, we believed that the detection role is related to VOCs adsorption and condensation onto the blending fibers, as well as the solubility. As treated by UV/ozone, hydroxyl groups might be induced on the surface of the PMMA fiber. These conjugated polymers might also be modified and activated, changing their excited state, and becoming more sensitive. 1-Butanol was not only attracted due to hydrogen bonding and polar induced dipole bonding, but also adsorbed depending on the boiling point. When excess VOCs were loaded on the blending fibers, swelling occurred, and fibers collapsed. Interestingly, the solution parameters of 1-butanol and the PMMA matrix are close, contributing to the extinction change significantly \[[@B36-polymers-12-00455]\].

The relationship between VOC vapor concentration and extinction change was discovered. We demonstrated the calibration curve of ∆E toward the concentration of VOC vapors, fitted by the experimental data, and shown as follows: ∆E = k⋅C + A, where k is the sensitivity coefficient, C is the concentration of VOC vapors, and A is a constant \[[@B37-polymers-12-00455]\]. In [Figure 7](#polymers-12-00455-f007){ref-type="fig"}b, the calibration curves for n-butanol vapor is ∆E = 0.0002C + 0.0337.

To evaluate the selectivity of PANI/P3TI/PMMA fibers, we reported the response of various VOC detections. [Figure 8](#polymers-12-00455-f008){ref-type="fig"} shows the maximum extinction change of PANI/P3TI/PMMA fibers after 1800 s exposed to 2000 ppm VOC vapors. The extinction changes are 0.483, 0.009, 0.146, 0.024, and 0.035 for n-butanol, CB, DMF, n-propanol, and toluene, respectively. It can be observed that the sensing fibers show a good response to n-butanol and DMF vapors. This is attributed to the formation of hydrogen bonding on the surface and the outstanding solubility of the conjugated polymer in DMF \[[@B36-polymers-12-00455]\]. The extinction changes of the above VOC vapors are many times higher than the sensing noise signal (∆E = 0.001). Therefore, the PANI/P3TI/PMMA fibers show high selectivity in different VOC sensing applications.

We also investigated the reversibility of PANI/P3TI/PMMA fibers. The response--recovery cycles of the sensing fiber were recorded three times at the same condition, exposed to 2000 ppm n-butanol, as shown in [Figure 9](#polymers-12-00455-f009){ref-type="fig"}. After the sensing material inserted into the chamber, the response of PANI/P3TI/PMMA fibers toward n-butanol vapor was very rapid, and the response times of sensing fibers with both 20 min and 30 min UV/ozone treatment were less than 10 s. However, PANI/P3TI/PMMA fibers with UV/ozone treatment for 30 min cannot recover to the initial state after long-time exposure to n-butanol. It is deduced that the sensing fibers were eclipsed by VOC vapor and deformed dramatically. Then, the initial extinction of every cycle would be altered, and the extinction change is limited. The extinction change after three cycles reduced from 0.483 of the first cycle to 0.099 of the third cycle. Interestingly, PANI/P3TI/PMMA fibers with UV/ozone treatment for 20 min show better reversibility. The extinction change of the sensing fiber almost recovered to the initial level. Nevertheless, the stability of the response was still limited, reduced from 0.140 to 0.079, and showed a low response. In summary, the UV/ozone treatment for PANI/P3TI/PMMA fibers reduces the reversibility but significantly increases the VOC response. It is indicated that the reversibility of PANI/P3TI/PMMA fibers can only be acceptable with fewer cycles, but the ultrasensitive response to VOCs is appropriate for the application of a disposable sensor.

4. Conclusions {#sec4-polymers-12-00455}
==============

Highly-sensitive PANI/P3TI/PMMA fibers for the detection of VOC vapors at a working temperature of 25 °C were successfully fabricated by the electrospinning technique, and were uniform, continuous, and well-dispersed. Various UV/ozone treatment times for the sensing fibers were investigated. At a treatment time of 30 min, the surface energy of the sensing fibers could be improved and the sensing fibers become active, leading to a high response. Moreover, the freestanding PANI/P3TI/PMMA sensing fibers were collected onto a metal framework, providing a larger reactive surface. Compared to the collection onto a glass substrate, the response can be boosted by three times. The PANI/P3TI/PMMA fibers exhibited excellent sensitivity, low detection limit, and response to multiple VOC vapors, especially to n-butanol vapors. The detection limit for n-butanol is about 100 ppm, and the response time is less than 10 s.

The authors appreciate Wei-Fang Su at National Taiwan University and Ming-Tao Lee (BL-13A1) and Jyh-Fu Lee (BL-17C1) at National Synchrotron Radiation Research Centre for useful discussion and suggestions.

The following are available online at <https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4360/12/2/455/s1>, Figure S1: Illustration of the chamber of VOCs detection for UV-vis spectra measurement. Figure S2: The transmittance signal at 620 nm in the blank for 1800 s. Figure S3: (a) FESEM image and (b--e) EDS elemental mappings of the PANI/P3TI/PMMA fiber, including (b) carbon, (c) nitrogen, (d) sulfur, and (e) oxygen. Figure S4: Extinction change at 620 nm of PANI/P3TI/PMMA fibers with various UV/ozone treatment time when exposed to 75% relative humidity.

###### 

Click here for additional data file.

D.L.V. and T.-H.L. performed the research and analyzed the data; T.-F.L. and D.L.V. wrote the paper. T.H.L. revised the paper. M.-C.W. was the supervisor and revised the paper. All authors read and approved the final manuscript. All authors have read and agreed to the published version of the manuscript.

This research was funded by Ministry of Science and Technology, Taiwan (project nos. 106-2221-E-182-057-MY3, 108-2119-M-002-005, 108-3116-F-002-002-CC2, and 108-2218-E-035-015-MY2), Chang Gung University (QZRPD181) and Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Linkou (CMRPD2H0162 and BMRPC74).

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

![Absorbance spectra of PANI and PANI/P3TI.](polymers-12-00455-g001){#polymers-12-00455-f001}

![FTIR spectra of PANI/PMMA, PANI/P3TI/PMMA, pristine PANI, and P3TI.](polymers-12-00455-g002){#polymers-12-00455-f002}

![SEM images of PANI/P3TI/PMMA fibers treated by UV/ozone at different times, (**a**) 0 min, (**b**) 10 min, (**c**) 20 min, (**d**) 30 min, and (**e**) 40 min.](polymers-12-00455-g003){#polymers-12-00455-f003}

![Extinction change of PANI/P3TI/PMMA fibers exposed to 2000 ppm n-butanol with various UV/ozone treatment time.](polymers-12-00455-g004){#polymers-12-00455-f004}

![Extinction change of PANI/P3TI/PMMA fibers deposited on different substrates exposed to 2000 ppm n-butanol with (**a**) 20, and (**b**) 30 min of UV/ozone treatment.](polymers-12-00455-g005){#polymers-12-00455-f005}

![Extinction change of PANI/PMMA and PANI/P3TI/PMMA fibers when exposed to 2000 ppm n-butanol.](polymers-12-00455-g006){#polymers-12-00455-f006}

![(**a**) Extinction change of PANI/P3TI/PMMA fibers, when exposed to several n-butanol concentrations, and (**b**) the calibration curves of PANI/P3TI/PMMA fibers after 600 s exposed to n-butanol vapor.](polymers-12-00455-g007){#polymers-12-00455-f007}

![The maximum extinction change of PANI/P3TI/PMMA fibers exposed to 2000 ppm VOC vapors.](polymers-12-00455-g008){#polymers-12-00455-f008}

![Reversibility of PANI/P3TI/PMMA fibers with 20 min and 30 min of UV/ozone treatment as exposed to 2000 ppm n-butanol.](polymers-12-00455-g009){#polymers-12-00455-f009}

[^1]: These authors contributed equally to this work as first author.