Home / Archive / JST Vol. 27 (4) Oct. 2019 / JST-1337-2018

 

Detection of Nitrobenzene using a coated Quartz Crystal Microbalance with a Parametric Modeling Approach

Dipali Ramdasi and Rohini Mudhalwadkar

Pertanika Journal of Science & Technology, Volume 27, Issue 4, October 2019

Published: 21 October 2019

Nitrobenzene (NB) is a nitroaromatic compound possessing explosive properties. Timely detection of this compound will prevent emotional and financial losses to mankind. As direct sensors are not available, a parametric modeling approach is developed using the coated Quartz Crystal Microbalance (QCM). These sensors are mass sensitive and can measure changes in mass in few micrograms. When the sensing electrode is deposited with a chemically sensitive coating, adsorption of gas molecules occurs at the surface when exposed to a gas. This results in increased deposited mass and decrease in resonant frequency. This increase in mass is proportional to the gas concentration. A parametric model is derived for coated QCM using the Diffusion reaction model and kinetic analysis to estimate the gas concentration. When the concentration is beyond permissible limits, precautionary measures can be taken to prevent heavy losses. The parameters of sensing layer density and thickness, resonant frequency of quartz, exposition time were used to develop the model along with standard crystal parameters. The developed parametric model was validated experimentally using an AT cut 10MHz crystal, deposited with a sensitive coating of Polyaniline, Tungsten Oxide, Palladium and Dimethyl Sulfoxide. The GAMRY Electrochemical Quartz Crystal Microbalance (EQCM) was used for acquiring and analyzing the response of the QCM for NB sensing. The model was validated analytically with the Extended Butterworth Van Dyke (EBVD) model, rearranged for gas concentration determination. The model performed with an accuracy of 74% for concentrations higher than 300 ppb.

ISSN 0128-7702

e-ISSN 2231-8534

Article ID

JST-1337-2018

Download Full Article PDF

Share this article

Related Articles