Biophysics

Quartz crystal microbalance with dissipation monitoring (QCM-D) and its application in surface characterization

November 15, 2013.

Lecturer

ALEŠ DOLIŠKA
University of Maribor, Laboratory for Characterization and Processing of Polymers

Date and time

Tuesday, November 26, 2013 at 11:00 AM

Location

Lecture hall, III wing, Institute of Physics, Bijenička 46, Zagreb

Abstract

Model films are becoming increasingly important due to very well-defined properties related to surface chemistry. Such model systems are suitable for studying surfaces and their interactions with different functional groups. Characterizations of such model films are easy to perform, and techniques such as quartz crystal microbalance (QCM) can be used for in situ adsorption studies. Quartz crystal microbalance with dissipation monitoring (QCM-D) is one of the few techniques that provide direct information on the in situ adsorption process. It is based on the change in resonant frequency of a thin AT-cut piezoelectric quartz crystal disc that oscillates in shear mode when an alternating voltage is applied to the electrodes. The resonant frequency changes with the mass applied to the crystal surface, making the QCM a very sensitive mass sensor. Due to its high resolution, it is a powerful device in various technological applications and is of great importance for adsorption studies in liquid environments. Some practical examples and possible uses of QCM-D will be highlighted. After adsorption, the treated model surfaces (model PET films, model cellulose films…) can be characterized by AFM imaging or other surface techniques such as XPS or ATR-FTIR.

A brief overview of the application of the QCM-D technique is given. As part of the UKF project “Confined DNA” (http://soft.ifs.hr), the Institute of Physics acquires QCM-D, a device used for the characterization of soft thin films, i.e. monitoring the deposition of bio/macro/molecules on surfaces. We would emphasize that QCM-D has many applications in biomedicine, biochemistry, biophysics (http://www.q-sense.com/publications).

*JOINT SEMINAR
Croatian Biophysical Society and Institute of Physics

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