MOLECULAR IMPRINTING IN CHEMICAL SENSING - DETECTION OF AROMATIC AND HALOGENATED HYDROCARBONS AS WELL AS POLAR-SOLVENT VAPORS

The technique of molecular imprinting - a novel tool of sensor materia l synthesis - can be successfully combined with mass-sensitive transdu cers. Imprinted polymers are prepared in presence of inert analytes ac ting as molecular templates. The remaining imprint allows the molecula r recognition of an analyte due to host-guest-interactions. The sensor properties of devices coated with imprint polymers can be tuned to th e analyte by variation of the polymerization solvent and the amount of cross-linker added. A further sensitivity enhancement can be achieved by rising the resonant frequencies of QMBs and SAW resonators, since the signal to noise-ratio increases in an approximately linear manner with the oscillation frequency.