Scientific Publications

The Measurement of Protein and Nano-Particle Adsorption using QCM-I

QCM-I is a powerful technique for measuring the adsorption or binding of polymers, proteins, nano-particles and other molecules to a surface. Multi-parametric data is obtained in real time, detailing changes of the hydrated mass and rigidity of layers coupled to the sensor surface. Here, the mass and viscoelastic changes can be understood for a range […]
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Combining QCM-I and OWLS Measurements to Understand Polymer Multilayer Deposition Processes

Understanding the adsorption of surface active layers is complex. The most useful real-time techniques provide multiple pieces of information, however a much clearer picture can be obtained by combining such techniques.1 QCM-I measures changes relating to the hydrated mass and rigidity of surface layers. Combining this with an optical technique such as OWLS, the “dry mass” […]
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QCM-I Setup for Measuring the Effect of Humidity on Thin Films

The QCM-I and QCM-I Mini systems are designed to be modular so that they can be configured to use the sensors and sample environments that are most appropriate for the user’s experiments. This technical note summarizes the basic configurations that can be used with the QCM-I for measuring the effect of changes in humidity on […]
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Measuring Thick Coconut Oil Films and Cleaning using QCM-I - Figure 1

Measuring Thick Coconut Oil Films and Cleaning using QCM-I

Micron-thick films of Coconut Oil can be formed by spin-coating and the thickness of the solid films estimated using QCM-I. The viscoelastic changes in the layers can be observed during melting and subsequent structural reorganization on re-solidification. This data can be compared to the effect of dish-cleaning detergent on the films at low temperatures in […]
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Synchronizing QCM-I (QCM-D) Measurements Using the Digital IO Port

The BioSense 3 software controls and records experiments using the Quartz Crystal Microbalance with Impedance (QCM-I) instrument. Other instrumentation can also be controlled with the software to provide integrated experiments, e.g. Gamry potentiostats for electrochemical QCM-I measurements. Other equipment can also be synchronized with the QCM-I experiment using the digital In/Out port. This technical note […]
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Measurement of Polymer Multilayer Deposition using QCM-I QCM-D Figure 1

Measurement of Polymer Multilayer Deposition using QCM-I

The electrostatically driven adsorption of polymer and nano-particle multilayers is a well-established method for the physical and chemical transformation of surfaces to produce highly tailored and often “smart”, environmentally sensitive interfaces. The deposition process can be sensitively monitored using QCM-I, which provides information on the hydrated mass of the multilayer as well as its physical […]
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Fluidic Configurations for QCM-I / QCM-D

Fluidic Configurations for QCM-I / QCM-D

Pump Flow Control with Manual Sample Introduction It is recommended that samples are introduced to the QCM-I flow-cells using a pump to control the flow. In the simplest setup, shown in figure 1, a peristaltic pump* is used to suck buffer directly from a beaker or other container. Sample is introduced to the flow-cell by […]
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QCM-I in Glove Box

Quartz Crystal Microbalance in Glove Box

MicroVacuum’s high performance QCM-I device is a Quartz Crystal Microbalance System with impedance analyses and dissipation monitoring (QCM -D), the Glove-Box QCM-I takes the high performance QCM-I instrument into a format suitable for mounting in a Glove-box or controlled atmosphere chamber and also includes the option of a wider temperature range e.g. between -30 °C and 80 °C.
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The Principles of QCM-I (QCM-D) - Figure 1

The Principles of QCM-I

Quartz Crystal Microbalance with Impedance Analysis (QCM-I) and Dissipation Monitoring (QCM-D) The Quartz Crystal Microbalance is a well-established and sensitive technique used to measure the interactions of molecules, polymers and biological assemblies with a sensor surface, in air or liquid, label-free and in real time. It is based on the change in resonant frequency of […]
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In situ viscoelastic properties and chain conformations of heavily hydrated carboxymethyl dextran layers

A comparative study using OWLS and QCM-I chips coated with waveguide material

We are very proud that both of our OWLS and QCM-I biosensor systems were used in the recent comparative study published on Nature.com See the abstract below and visit Nature.com to read the full publication. In situ viscoelastic properties and chain conformations of heavily hydrated carboxymethyl dextran layers: a comparative study using OWLS and QCM-I […]
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