With respect to chemical applications, surface-launched acoustic wave sensors were originally developed as sensing devices for specific chemical and biological species, but more recently have been applied to the study of thin film and interfacial properties. These devices exploit the phenomenon of piezoelectricity, the instigation of mechanical motion in solids by oscillating electrical fields.

This text/reference presents the principles of design and operation of these sensors and explores their traditional and emerging applications with a focus on devices that employ acoustic waves launched and received on the same surface.

The book begins with a review of piezoelectricity and the genesis of acoustic wave devices, and the advent of chemical sensor technology. Subsequent chapters explore acoustic waves in solids and device structure, theory of acoustic wave response, and the various categories of acoustic wave device. The book describes the design of these devices and how they are applied in chemistry for the detection of species present in the gas and liquid phase, as well as the study of thin films placed on the sensor surface. Other topics covered include polymeric glass transitions, polymer properties, biosensor technology, and the development of sensor arrays. Each of the various types of device is examined with a view toward its application in chemistry in general and analytical chemistry in particular.