Highly sensitive QCM odor-sensors functionalized with self-assembled lipid-derivatives and GC materials

We present a novel method for fabrication of highly sensitive quartz crystal microbalance (QCM) odor sensors using combined chemical- and physical sorption processes. In conventional techniques used for fabrication of the QCM sensors (e.g. spray-coating, atomizer) a bulky and costly setup is usually required. Here, we propose a simple method for functionalization of QCMs consisting in (i) chemisorption of a lipid-derivative(s) and then (ii) physical sorption of gas-chromatography (GC) stationary-phase materials from their ethanolic solutions. The materials self-organize on the sensor surface and the QCMs fabricated this way have sensitivity toward airborne odorants much higher than the sensors fabricated using conventional atomizer technique.