Chemical Sensors: Oxford Chemistry Primers

Citation

(2000), "Chemical Sensors: Oxford Chemistry Primers", Sensor Review, Vol. 20 No. 2. https://doi.org/10.1108/sr.2000.08720bae.001

Chemical Sensors: Oxford Chemistry Primers

Chemical Sensors: Oxford Chemistry Primers

R.W. CattrallOxford University Press 199774 pp.ISBN 0-19-850090-4£6.99

Keywords: Chemistry, Sensors

This short book aims to introduce the theory and operation of a range of chemical sensors to upper level graduate and postgraduate chemistry students. The text is written in an easy to understand form which makes it equally useful for biological and medical science students and to electronic engineering students involved in interfacing chemistry to electronics.

The underlying scientific principles for various sensor types are clearly described along with common applications. This book consists of an introductory chapter, eight informative chapters and a concluding look at the future. Chapter 1, monitoring our environment, introduces different types of sensor and why they are needed. Chapters 2 and 3 discuss solid state potentiometric chemical sensors and polymer membrane potentiometric chemical sensors, respectively. Topics covered include: ion selective electrodes, dissolved gas sensing probes, PVC membranes and Enzyme Field Effect Transistors (ENFETs). Chapter 4 covers some practical aspects of the use of potentiometric chemical sensors, including the oxygen probe and glucose and cholesterol biosensors. Voltametric-based and optical chemical sensors are discussed in chapters 5 and 6, while calorimetric sensors are introduced in Chapter 7. Solid-electrolyte and semiconductor gas sensors are discussed in the following chapter. Chapter 9 addresses mass sensors, the piezoelectric effect, carbon monoxide sensors, sensors for explosives and surface acoustic wave (SAW) sensors. The concluding chapter discusses how sensor technology may evolve. Overall this is a superbly written book which contains useful side notes and texts for further reading.