Studies of Thin Film Chemical Sensors Using the Quartz Crystal Microbalance

Abstract

The quartz crystal microbalance (QCM) is emerging as powerful new tool in sensor technology. In the course of this work, the QCM is used to study solvent and ion transport in poly(vinyl chloride) (PVC) ion-selective electrode (ISE) membranes and as a base for thin film analytical sensors for specific ionic species in solution. Thin (approximately 1.5 micrometer) PVC-based ISE membranes swell in solution due to solvent and/or ion uptake, the resultant mass change in the film causes the resonant frequency of the quartz crystal to decrease. The frequency measurements obtained when exposing ISE-type membranes containing neutral carrier type ionophores to analyte-containing solutions allow one to approximate the mass of solvent and analyte ions that entered the films during sensor operation.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Aug 01, 1990
Accession Number
ADA224681

Entities

People

  • Howard R. Meyer Jr.

Organizations

  • Air Force Institute of Technology

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Sensors

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Acoustic Impedance
  • Air Force
  • Analyzers
  • Chemical Detectors
  • Chemical Synthesis
  • Chemistry
  • Detection
  • Detectors
  • Electrodes
  • Materials Science
  • Measurement
  • Piezoelectric Effect
  • Piezoelectric Materials
  • Polymeric Films
  • Quartz Crystal Microbalances
  • Surface Acoustic Wave Devices
  • Surface Acoustic Waves

Fields of Study

  • Chemistry

Readers

  • Electrochemical Engineering/ Fuel Cell Technologies
  • Electrochemical Surface Science
  • Sensor Fusion and Tracking Systems.