Water phase behavior in nanoparticle films for humidity sensing: insights from IR spectra under controlled humidity

We study the phase behavior of capillary condensed water in a nanoparticle (NP) film by using IR spectroscopy for nanomaterial-based humidity sensors. A nanoporous film consisting of 50 nm silica NPs is used for absorbing water vapor in air for humidity sensing. Two phases of the adsorbed water (liquid and ice-like phases) are investigated in the silica NP film under controlled humidity environments. By analyzing the IR absorption spectra, we find that the liquid of water is prominently formed at 90% of the relative humidity. This implies that the capillary condensation of water in nanoscale pores occurs under unsaturated humid air. The IR absorption of liquid water in the 50 nm NP film is consistent with a humidity-dependent increase in electrical admittance reported in previous work regarding a NP-film based humidity sensor. This study suggests the relative fraction of absorbance due to liquid/ice-like water as a new indicator of evaluating nanoporous humidity-sensing materials. The presented method enables us to screen nanomaterials promising for humidity sensing by IR spectroscopy prior to sensor fabrications.