This project, carried out by Professor Richard Crooks at Texas A&M University, and funded by the Analytical and Surface Chemistry Program, involves the design, synthesis, characterization, and surface immobilization of new organic materials intended to serve as chemically sensitive devices in array-based sensors. The organic materials that are the focus of this proposal are hyberbranched polymer films and dendritic polymers. Vapor phase chemical sensors based on dendritic monolayers are characterized by surface acoustic wave mass balances. The chemical sensitivities of the immobilized films are correlated with the physical properties and intended design of the dendritic structure, and an iteration to achieve the desired chemical selectivity will be pursued. Use of these thin films in arrays for volatile organic compound determinations will be explored in collaborative efforts. A combinatorial chemistry approach to the preparation of new organic compounds to be used for sensing is explored, and a novel means for bilayer film immobilization that preserves selectivity and protects the surface from poisoning is also pursued.
The usefulness of chemical sensors depends on the specificity of the material on the surface of the sensor. This work by Professor Richard Crooks of Texas A&M University develops new highly branched materials with predictable specificities and better responses. A means to connect the material to the sensor surface that protects the sensing film from damage and poisoning is also being developed.
