Abstract
The performance of a printed square split-ring resonator as a sensor for quantifying nanoparticle concentrations in PVDF-based nanocomposites was evaluated at UHF frequencies. The sensing mechanism was based on the frequency response of parameter S(21), observing the shift in the resonant frequency and a variation in S(21) level, while samples were placed on the ring split and compared to the sensor without a sample. Experiments with samples of PVDF-based nanocomposites combined with different concentrations of both MoS(2) and MXenes, ranging from 0.01% to 0.2%, were conducted. In general, considering both types of samples studied, it was observed that, as the concentration increases, S(21) (dB) increases from -6.35 to -6 dB. At the same time, the resonance frequency in the S(21) plot went from 500.4 to 498.25 MHz. Although the concentrations and their variations were relatively low, shifts in the resonance frequency of S(21) were evident, demonstrating the ability of the sensor to detect low concentrations and variations of MoS(2) and MXenes, being the detection of samples with higher concentrations feasible as future work, and concluding that the sensor had a relatively acceptable performance. In this study, MXenes were the concentrations that produced more noticeable shifts in the resonance frequency of S(21). Likewise, characterizations based on SEM and TEM were performed to corroborate the ones at UHF frequencies.