SELECTIVE VAPOR SORPTION BY POLYMERS AND CAVITANDS ON ACOUSTIC-WAVE SENSORS - IS THIS MOLECULAR RECOGNITION

Selectivity patterns for the sorption of organic vapors from the gas p hase into cavitand monolayers on acoustic wave sensors are very simila r to those seen for sorption of the same vapors by amorphous polymers, demonstrating that the vapor/cavitand selectivity patterns are determ ined primarily by solubility interactions. The amorphous polymers serv e as controls demonstrating that the three-dimensional structure of a cavitand layer is not primarily responsible for the selectivity observ ed. Binding and selectivity in the examples cited are governed primari ly by general dispersion interactions and not by specific oriented int eractions that could lead to molecular recognition.