Adsorption on film-free and antibody-coated piezoelectric sensors

Frequency responses associated with adsorption of gas-phase toluene, o-nitrotoluene, valproic acid and the pesticides parathion, malathion and disulfoton on uncoated and protein-coated piezoelectric sensors are reported. Valproic acid antiserum and antibody against parathion were included among the set of protein films studied. Responses, which were reversible in all cases, are attributed to chemisorption or physisorption on electrode and protein surfaces. Under the conditions used, no signals corresponding to selective immunochemical binding were found. Highly sensitive responses of protein-coated sensors to the pesticide species were confirmed, with the lower limit of detection being about 0.01 μg l^?1 in nitrogen carrier gas.