Enabling In Situ Real-Time Characterization of Interfaces with Quartz Crystal Microbalance with Dissipation Monitoring

There is a growing need for new technologies to quantitatively measure the surface properties of biological and material interfaces.  One technique in particular, the Quartz Crystal Microbalance with Dissipation Monitoring (QCM-D), fulfills the need for monitoring real-time dynamic adsorption and desorption phenomena.  Capable of operating in liquids and in real-time, QCM-D provides a powerful approach to analyze the in situ thickness, structural, and viscoelastic properties of molecules and materials at interfaces. This presentation will focus on the application of QCM-D to monitoring self assembly processes. Examples to be discussed will be recent research done in the areas of: protein deposition or fouling, polyelectrolyte multilayer build-up, nanoparticle/nanotube assembly, lipid membrane fuel cell interfaces.  The QCM-D technique has allowed scientists to achieve a more fundamental understanding of how dynamic materials behave on the molecular scale and current research in several of these areas will be highlighted.