An Analytical Model of Sorption-Induced Static Mode Nanomechanical Sensing for Multicomponent Analytes

Nanomechanical sensors and their arrays have attracted significant attention for detecting, distinguishing, and identifying target analytes, especially complex mixtures of odors. In the static mode operation, sensing signals are obtained by a concentration-dependent sorption-induced mechanical strain/stress. Understanding of the dynamic responses is crucial for developing practical artificial olfaction; however, the analytical formulations are still limited to single-component analytes. Here, we derive an analytical model of viscoelastic material-based static mode nanomechanical sensing for multicomponent analytes by extending the theoretical model via solving differential equations. The present model can reduce the dynamic responses to the multicomponent target analytes observed in the experimental signal responses. Moreover, the use of optimized fitting parameters extracted from pure vapors with viscoelastic parameters allows us to predict the concentration of each analyte in the multicomponent system.