Detection of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons using quartz crystal microbalances.
A chemically coated piezoelectric sensor has been developed for the determination of PAHs in the liquid phase. An organic monolayer attached to the surface of a gold electrode of a quartz crystal microbalance (QCM) via a covalent thiol-gold link complete with an ionically bound recognition element has been produced. This study has employed the PAH derivative 9-anthracene carboxylic acid which, once bound to the alkane thiol, functions as the recognition element. Binding of anthracene via pi-pi interaction has been observed as a frequency shift in the QCM with a detectability of the target analyte of 2 ppb and a response range of 0-50 ppb. The relative response of the sensor altered for different PAHs despite pi-pi interaction being the sole communication between recognition element and analyte. It is envisaged that such a sensor could be employed in the identification of key marker compounds and, as such, give an indication of total PAH flux in the environment.
Stanley
S
S
Department of Chemistry and Physics, The Nottingham Trent University, Nottingham NG11 8NS, UK.
Percival
C J
CJ
Auer
M
M
Braithwaite
A
A
Newton
M I
MI
McHale
G
G
Hayes
W
W
D000873:Anthracenes / Q000737:chemistry; D004784:Environmental Monitoring / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods*; D004785:Environmental Pollutants / Q000032:analysis*; D011084:Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons / Q000032:analysis*; D011791:Quartz
D000873:Anthracenes; D004785:Environmental Pollutants; D011084:Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons; D011791:Quartz; C034020:anthracene