Publications Details

Shape-Selectivity with Liquid Crystal and Side-Chain Liquid Crystalline Polymer SAW Sensor Interfaces

Frye-Mason, Gregory C.

A liquid crystal (LC) and a side-chain liquid crystalline polymer (SCLCP) were tested as surface acoustic wave (SAW) vapor sensor coatings for discriminating between pairs of isomeric organic vapors. Both exhibit room temperature smectic mesophases. Temperature, electric-field, and pretreatment with self-assembled monolayers comprising either a methyl-terminated or carboxylic acid-terminated alkane thiol anchored to a gold layer in the delay path of the sensor were explored as means of affecting the alignment and selectivity of the LC and SCLCP films. Results for the LC were mixed, while those for the SCLCP showed a consistent preference for the more rod-like isomer of each isomer pair examined.