Odor Sensor Based on Mixed LB Films and Quartz Crystal Microbalance

Abstract

Sensing properties of mixed LB films used as odor sensors were studied. They are constructed of some organic materials like phospholipids and proteins as sensing films deposited on a QCM, and are used mainly to detect volatile organic compounds such as benzene, hexane, hexanone, etc. The use of the mixtures made possible the deposition stable and reproducible. Besides, it permitted to combine the characteristics of the substances and to control the response patterns as the proportion was changed. Furthermore, the use of calixarenes with a supramolecular structure as a “host-guest” characteristic layer deposited by the LB technique was adequate when looking for an increase of the sensitivity and selectivity due to the size and shape recognition characteristics of this molecule.