Quartz crystal microbalance (QCM) for the detection of explosive vapor–measurements and simulations

Actual research concerning the detection of explosive materials is suggesting different methods and the use of different kind of sensors. The QCM method, for example, has become a subject of interest because of its high sensitivity and accuracy in biomolecules detection in terms of Nanogram. This paper overview the QCM method and presents some measurements and simulation techniques for any possible future improvements (in terms of reliability and accuracy). An explosive vapor detector using QCM method is based on quartz frequency variation principle due to the interaction between deposited enzymes on the quartz surface and explosive vapor in the air. This paper deals with this method’s accuracy by means of measurements performed on a specific QCM component and by some simulations performed using COMSOL software.