Vapor Sorption to Polyvinyl Alcohol Thin Film Observed Using a Hybrid Sensor of Quartz-Crystal-Microbalance and Surface-Plasmon-Resonance

A quartz-crystal-microbalance (QCM) and surface-plasmon-resonance (SPR) hybrid sensor was prepared, and the sorptions of water and ethanol vapors to polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) films were observed in situ. The shift of the SPR wavelength depended on the PVA film thickness as well as the sorbed vapor. It was estimated to be due to the film swelling induced by the vapor sorption and the relationship between the film thickness and the penetration depth of evanescent wave.