Investigation of an intercalation reaction with implications for chemical sensor science

The intercalation chemistry of Mn₂P₂S₆ is investigated with respect to characteristics important for chemical sensors. Questions such as kinetics, sensitivity, and reversibility are addressed. Ammonia gas is chosen as the analyte for simplicity. Both large single crystals and pressed powdered pellets of Mn₂P₂S₆ are used. The rapid change in the physical properties of the Mn₂P₂S₆ host lattice upon intercalation with ammonia suggests that this type of insertion chemistry is a fruitful area for further study with respect to chemical sensor science.