A quartz crystal microbalance modified with carbon nanotubes as a sensor for volatile organic compounds

A piezoelectric quartz crystal microbalance (PQCM) was modified with multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) to develop a chemically based sensor for measurements other than the typical mass change in the quartz crystal. Slight conductivity changes in the carbon nanotubes are amplified to obtain a vibrational frequency signal in the crystal. A commercially available quartz crystal microbalance was modified by replacing its electrode with MWCNTs to obtain a sensor with high sensitivity, selectivity, robustness and stability overtime. The modified microbalance was successfully used to determine various types of analytes including volatile organic compounds (VOCs), aldehydes and amines. (C) 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.