SENSITIVITY OF METAL THIOLATE PIEZOQUARTZ SENSOR COATINGS TO HYDROCARBONS, METHANOL, AND WATER

Mn(II), Fe(II), Co(II), Ni(II), Cu(II), Zn(II), Ag(I), and Pb(II) octadecylthiolates were used as chemical coatings for piezoquartz (PQR) sensors sensitive to hydrocarbon, alcohol, and water vapors. The sensitivity of these PQR sensors in a stationary flow mode at 25 °C varies from 0.5 to 5 Hz/(mg/L) depending on the composition of the coating and nature of the analyte. An array of eight PQR sensors with these coatings gives a sensor image of the corresponding analyte, which hardly varies with the analyte concentration. The sensitivity of the PQR sensors with the coatings studied changed by no more than 10-15% upon storage for several months.