Quartz crystal microbalance modified with Cu(II) stearate and octadecylamine co-ordination chemical compounds for detection of volatile organic compounds

Sensitive properties of 10 MHz piezoelectric quartz crystals plated with Ni–Ag electrodes and coated with different copper(II) co-ordination chemical compounds were studied for detection of various volatile organic compounds, particularly, alcohols, ethers, and hydrocarbons. To prepare sensitive layers we synthesized copper(II) stearate, bis-, tetrakis- and hexakis-(octadecylamine) copper(II) stearate complexes, and we developed a simple procedure for coating piezoelectric quartz with these compounds. Additionally, we also used stearic acid and octadecylamine for preparation of sensitive layers. All coatings were characterized by XRD. We found that coating composition considerably altered specificity of responses for different coatings to organic vapors. The surface morphology is inferred to be the main factor influencing the specificity.