INTERFACIAL CONDENSATION POLYMERS FOR ANALYTE-SPECIFIC SENSOR COATINGS

MANY U.S. INDUSTRIES ARE FINDING THAT THEIR SURVIVAL WILL DEPEND ON SUBSTANTIALLY IMPROVED PRODUCTIVITY. THE DEVELOPMENT OF NEW SENSORS IS VITAL TO THE IMPLEMENTATION OF ROBOTICS OR AUTOMATION, THE MOST COMMON MEANS OF INCREASING PRODUCTIVITY. IN ONE OF THE MOST PRACTICAL APPROACHES TO ANALYZING COMPLEX MIXTURES, PARTIALLY SELECTIVE SENSORS ARE COMBINED IN AN ARRAY WITH APPROPRIATE ELECTRONIC PROCESSING OF THE VARIOUS RESPONSES. A NEW APPROACH TO THE PREPARATION OF PARTIALLY SELECTIVE SENSORS WILL BE INVESTIGATED, IN WHICH AN ANALYTE-SELECTIVE POLYMER FILM IS APPLIED TO A PIEZOELECTRIC POLYVINYLIDINE FLUORIDE (PVDF) FILM. THE ANALYTE-SELECTIVE POLYMERS CHOSEN SHOULD BE CAPABLE OF PRODUCING A PHYSICAL RESPONSE THAT CAN BE CONVERTED TO AN ELECTRICAL SIGNAL BY THE PIEZOELECTRIC FILM. SENSORS BASED ON PIEZOELECTRIC MATERIALS HAVE BEEN USED PRIMARILY TO MEASURE VAPOR-PHASE COMPONENTS. THE SENSORS RESULTING FROM THIS PROGRAM, HOWEVER, WILL BE INTENDED SPECIFICALLY FOR MEASURING OF CONCENTRATIONS OF COMPONENTS OF LIQUID SOLUTIONS. SUCH SENSORS WOULD HAVE WIDE APPLICATION FOR AUTOMATED PROCESS CONTROL IN THE CHEMICAL INDUSTRY.