Highly sensitive QCM odor sensors with lipopolymeric nanocomposites and physisorbed amphiphilic GC materials

Abstract

Purpose

This work has been motivated by the authors' long‐term research on odor‐sensing systems using acoustic wave‐based sensors and pattern recognition techniques. The sensors should be fabricated in such a way that they mimic performance of the olfactory receptors. In these terms, the purpose of this paper is to test a simple method for fabrication of quartz crystal microbalance (QCM) sensors by using nanocomposites and amphiphilic gas chromatography (GC) materials. The obtained sensors were intended to be highly sensitive to odorants at low concentrations and in high‐humidity conditions, as well as contributing to discrimination among odorant samples.

Design/methodology/approach

The proposed fabrication process consists of four stages: formation of all‐lipopolymeric layer on surface of the QCM sensor; preparation of lipopolymeric nanocomposites by means of chemisorption of lipopolymers onto nano‐Au; precipitation of the nanocomposites onto the lipopolymer‐coated QCM surface; and physisorption of amphiphilic GC materials onto the lipopolymer‐nanocomposite matrix. The fabricated sensors have been evaluated in the experiments of exposure to vapors of odorants at various concentrations and humidity levels.

Findings

The authors found that sensitivity of the sensors fabricated using the proposed method was much superior to that recorded for the sensors with all‐lipopolymeric and all‐amphiphilic films. The novel sensors' performance showed robustness against humidity and capability to discriminate among odorant samples at relatively low‐concentration levels.

Practical implications

The sensors fabricated using the proposed method can be useful in recognition of the odorant samples at ppb‐level under high humidity. Their performance has not been deteriorated even under high humidity.

Originality/value

The paper presents application of a relatively simple chemi‐/physisorption processes to form an odor‐interactive coating, with high sensitivity and robustness against humidity. To the best of the authors' knowledge, the method proposed here has not been presented by other groups.

Citation

Wyszynski, B. and Nakamoto, T. (2011), "Highly sensitive QCM odor sensors with lipopolymeric nanocomposites and physisorbed amphiphilic GC materials", Sensor Review, Vol. 31 No. 3, pp. 277-284. https://doi.org/10.1108/02602281111140047