Quantification of CO 2, SO 2, NH 3, and H 2S with a single coated piezoelectric quartz crystal

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Previous experiments showed that a quartz crystal coated with tetramethylammonium fluoride tetrahydrate (TMAF) could be used to quantify CO 2. It was also known that TMAF absorbed SO 2 and H 2S, although there were no studies involving quartz crystal microbalances (QCMs) with the latter gas. The remarkable stability of the frequency of the TMAF-coated crystals was reason enough to test them for a series of gases of environmental interest: CO 2, SO 2, NH 3, H 2S, and CO. Studies of sensitivity of TMAF to those gases are reported, along with a detailed discussion of the signal shape. Traps of specially prepared molecular sieves were used in an attempt to separate some of the analytes.